


Seven Days

by Yasbid



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Awkward Dates, Awkward Flirting, F/F, Implied Jasper/Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe), One-Sided Attraction, Romantic Conflict, Sexual Tension, Unrequited Crush, also gay zircons now cuz i said so, awkward everything, but theres bad jokes...if you like those, starring the master of flirting and a nonchalant piece of crap, this is not a very happy story im sorry, well kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-01-31 01:25:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12665436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yasbid/pseuds/Yasbid
Summary: Seven days. One week. This is the time frame in which Peridot must execute her master plan to seduce the elusive Lapis Lazuli.Will Peridot be able to woo her way into the water witches heart? Or will her dreams, and maybe herself, be shattered?





	1. Critical Success

**Author's Note:**

> hi i have other fics to be working on but why the fuck not. little note is that i actually don't ship lapidot and i just wanted to write something weird, and i also wanted to write bitchy lapis. because i love bitchy lapis
> 
> this is like a tiny thing im gonna do whenever. ive been having lots of fun writing it so ill probably update it pretty frequently (just dont expect very long chapters cuz i dont have lots of time to spare and this is also for fun and not serious at all)

An entire week. That was the amount of time Peridot had to spare, and she planned to make good use of it. She had covered the walls and floor of the barn with countless pieces of paper documenting her plans.

5 o'clock P.M., Sunday.

She had finished scribbling her final musings and taped them next to the ones she made earlier in the day. Peridot hopped to her feet and glanced around the barn, proud of her hard work and dedication. Lapis Lazuli was scheduled to visit Steven within half an hour, and also when Peridot would set her genius plan in motion. It was absolutely perfect, all of it.

Catch Lazuli before she gets to Steven’s house, and say what she needs to. It was exceedly simple, anyone could do it. Peridot smiled to herself, scrambling up to her little spot in the loft of the barn. She knew she kept a clock around here somewhere. She’d need to keep track of time if she was to do this right.

She located her clock and then proceeded to trip on a wooden board (that should not have been sticking upwards) and falling from the loft and directly onto her face. Peridot whimpered, thanking the  stars she had her visor on, lest she crack her gem.

Once she recovered from the impact, she looked at her clock. She gasped, realizing she had about 25 minutes to leave the barn and catch up with Lapis. “Shit. Shit.” She muttered, throwing the clock into some random pile and sprinting out through the barns entrance.

Peridot ran as fast as her short little legs would carry her. She noted that she had tripped on two rocks, a tree root and one oddly sloped hill during her journey. Damn, was she always so clumsy? Perhaps it was because all she could hear was her heavy breathing and her hammering chest.

 

\--

 

Lapis Lazuli was enjoying the view of the countryside as she lazily flew towards Beach City. She was relatively low to the ground, and wasn't flapping her wings very fast, clearly not in any sort of hurry. The sun was getting lower as the evening progressed. Lapis frowned, picking up her pace. She didn't want to come over too late.

While Lapis was taking in the view, Peridot was hauling ass as quickly as she could. She caught sight of Lapis and quickened her sprint. “Hey! Lazuli! Wait up!” She called out to the blue gem, praying she’d be heard. And just as she hoped, Lapis stopped, retracting her wings and landed on a small hill just on the outskirts of the city. “What are you doing here?” She asked, folding her arms over her chest.

“I was hoping you would allow me a few moments of your time.” Peridot said, smiling. Lapis raised a brow. Did Peridot get a job as a telemarketer or something? She had been spending so little time in the barn she had no idea what the tiny technician got up to all day. “Spill it.” She said, not reflecting her (albeit slight) interest.

“Oh. Oh! Yes! I was out in the field today and, um, I found these.” She held a small bundle of blue flowers. Morning glories, according to one of the books she kept in the barn. “And they made me think of you, because they’re… Blue. A-and I want you to have them.” Peridot began to lose her composure. This wasn't the script she’d written out but it was too late now.

Lapis took the flowers in her hand, one of her fingers gently brushing Peridot’s as she did. The green gem shivered at the touch. “Thanks,” Lapis said, holding the miniature bouquet in her hands. “I should probably go. Steven’s waiting.” She reminded Peridot. Expecting no answer, she spread her wings and took off. “O-okay! You should stop by the barn too! If you want, I mean! Bye!” She shouted after Lapis, who didn't even look back at her.

 

\--

 

Peridot burst into the barn, squealing excitedly. She leaped into the back of the old pickup truck and grabbed her tape recorder. “Day one was successful! Well, a little. But she took the flowers and, and, get this, she touched my hand.” She clutched her chest, sighing dreamily. “Though my performance was not… Ideal. I messed up and derailed from the script. The very script I have been writing and editing for five days. The point is, I made a breakthrough. I told her to come to the barn at her convenience, so she might show up. I need to clean up my… stuff. In case she does come.”

  
She shrugged. Cleaning would come later. “Overall, today was a critical success. Peridot, out.” She finished her logging, stopped her recorder and smiled to herself more. It was going to work. Her plan was working and it couldn't be working more flawlessly.


	2. Critical Hit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot prepares a brunch "date" with Lapis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey heres chapter numero dos.  
> i wrote this immediately after the first so thats why its up so quick.
> 
> still have no idea what im doing, or whether or not this is good.  
> it is a mystery. anywho, enjoy this kinda longer chapter, and as usual feel free to point out any errors like grammar or spelling or weird continuity crap.

7 o'clock A.M., Monday.

  


Alright, so Lazuli stood her up last night. Whatever, no big deal. She’d just go find her again today, no matter what it took. And besides, Peridot had an even better surprise gift for her crush than those silly old flowers.

 

She stepped back to admire her work. All of her dedication and the eternal flame of her feelings came together in this project, and it was great.

 

In the middle of the barn, there stood a table, set with a pair of dishware and cutlery, with a single candle as the centerpiece. It wasn't completely finished, but oh, it was coming along swimmingly. All that was left was to prepare the meal and invite her ‘date’ over. She noted that she’d need Steven's assistance with the food, that’d be easy. But bringing Lapis would be… different. She had no clue as to how she’d feel, being handed flowers and then invited to dinner. Maybe this approach was too obvious?

 

Peridot shook her head. “No. I’ve come this far. The least I could do is finish what I started.” She said to herself. Or to the lifeless table. She wanted to slap herself. Don't talk to tables, Peridot.

  


\--

  


Peridot's quest for success continued on as she scampered up the steps leading to Steven's house. She practically lunged for the door, hitting it with her palms. “Steven! Let me in!” She shouted, still slapping the screen door under the impression that she was knocking. Eventually, Steven opened the door, rubbing his eyes. Peridot barreled into his house without a second thought. “...Peridot?” Steven sounded tired. Oops. She forgot it was still early. “Is everything okay?” He asked, looking mildly concerned, but mostly sleepy. “Huh? I mean- yes! But I need your help. I need to make food.” Peridot spoke with urgency, hoping to get this done as soon as she could. “Oh? Are you gonna have someone over?” He asked. “N-no! Well, maybe, but it's not important!” Peridot scrambled for words. Sometimes this human child really knew how to stress her out.

 

Steven just smiled and patted Peridot on the back. “I’m sure whoever it is, they’ll really appreciate you cooking for them.” His reassurement calmed some of her nerves. She just hoped he was right. “Yeah. Okay. To the kitchen!” She said, leading Steven to his own kitchen and preparing the ingredients.

 

A few hours later, the food was ready. Peridot had no idea whether this was supposed to be like a brunch or a regular lunch. She felt herself begin to sweat, staring at the food. Chicken wings, mashed potatoes and assorted vegetal matter. Was that a typical lunch? Or brunch? Did Lapis Lazuli even give two shits whether it was a lunch or a brunch? Peridot halted her thoughts.

 

“She doesn't give two shits. Okay. Thank you, Steven, but I need to take this back to the barn right now.” Peridot said, storing the food in little styrofoam containers. Steven nodded, opting to ignore Peridot's foul language. “See ya! Good luck with the not-a-date!” He waved to her as she left. Not-a-date? Where did he get that from? Wherever he did, he was absolutely correct. Peridot had set the table and prepared food and mood lighting, but she was not on a date. She wasn't dating Lapis. But if the week went as she planned, perhaps that could change. Perhaps.

  


\--

  


So there she was, making her way down to Lapis’s usual hangout spot. It was a nice day already, and the warmth of the sun on her skin raised her confidence even more. She knew Lapis typically liked to hang out not too close to the barn, but not in town either, unless she was visiting. There was a large oak tree she loved to sit in. and lo and behold, when Peridot reached the tree, Lapis was calmly seated on one of the branches. She looked so serene up there, and totally not like the branch could snap any moment. “Hey Lapis!” Peridot called from below.

 

The sudden noise made Lapis jump, nearly losing her balance. Staring down, she saw Peridot. Two days in a row now, she came chasing after her. Whatever Peridot was up to was getting less and less cute by the moment. She huffed, still shaken from her almost-falling-out-of-a-tree escapade. “What?” She asked harshly. Peridot took note of her annoyance and flinched. “I, uh, I have a surprise for you! It’s in the barn, and I’d like it if you would come over.” She explained quickly. “But we should probably go now. Time sensitive things and all that.”

 

Lapis tilted her head. Shrugging, she jumped down from her perch in the tree. Who knows, it might be interesting, or at the very least funny. She didn't have anything going on today anyway. “Lead the way.”

 

Peridot was practically glowing. “Alright! Follow me, Lazuli!”

 

\--

 

Peridot ran in first, insisting Lapis waits until she tells her to come in. The green gem just needed some time to prepare. The food was already set up, the table looked great and the candle was lit. All that was left was attire. Peridot remembered she had asked to borrow Steven's tuxedo from his trip with his father and the pearl a while back. She gave herself one last check in the mirror, deemed she looked adequately snazzy in the little suit, and settled down in her chair. “Lapis, you can come in now!”

 

Lapis slowly stepped in, looking around. She noticed Peridot's outfit first. “Sit down, I made some food and everything.” She grinned, clearly proud of the whole display. Lapis reluctantly sat down, laying her hands in her lap. “You know we don't have to eat, right?” She stated, leaning back in her seat. Peridot gulped.

 _She doesn't give a fuck if it's brunch or not. She doesn't even know the word brunch!_ She told herself. “I-I know. I just thought it'd be nice to spend time with you…” She trailed off, poking at her vegetables.

 

Lapis sighed. All she had to do was sit through… Whatever this is with Peridot and then spill the beans later. It’d be fine. No worries at all.

 

“It’s… thoughtful.” Lapis immediately wanted to slap herself. She couldn't even say something nice. Maybe because Peridot was staring at her weirdly from across the table. She cleared her throat noisily. “Um. Yeah.” Instead of speaking, she figured taking a bite of the chicken was a better idea.

 

Peridot hoped she liked it. She had worked so hard on it, after all. She started to eat her own food when she caught herself staring. It isn't like she wanted to be creepy, she just came off that way, maybe more often than she intended. “So…” She begun, but actually had nothing to say at all.

 

“This is kind of good. And I don't even like food.” Lapis said, attempting to form a compliment. Mission accomplished, Peridot was now smiling like a dweeb. Any normal person would think it's endearing, the way she acted around Lapis, but it was weird to her. She's like a lost puppy, dependent and clingy. “I’m glad you like it, Lapis.” She said. “Is there… Anything else you like? About this, I mean.”

 

“Um…” She didn't expect Peridot to ask. “The candle was a nice touch…?” Lapis shrugged. She didn't expect any of this and now it was her duty to take control of the situation. Peridot had finished her food by now and was still staring at her. God, Lapis wished she would cut that shit out.

 

That wasn't the response Peridot anticipated, but it would do for now. Besides, she had already been wandering from her carefully thought out script anyway. “I knew you’d like it.” She said, smiling. Lapis shook her head. “I appreciate it, but I should probably get going. I have a… club meeting.”

 

“Since when are you in a club?” Peridot narrowed her eyes. Her guest was acting a bit off all of the sudden. “The, uh, math club. Gotta go. Thanks for the food.” And with that, Lapis took off into the sky through the hole in the barn roof, which still wasn't properly covered up. “Math club? Seriously? Lazuli doesn't even like math!” Peridot shouted to herself. “That’s it, I’m going after her.”

  


\--

  


After 20 minutes of running and screaming, she found Lapis inside the pizza shop on the boardwalk. It reeked of fish and grease; Peridot almost cringed. Lapis was at a table with two other gems who recently made the Earth their home. Aquamarine and Blue Zircon, she recalled. They didn't actually have any food aside from breadsticks that Zircon was nibbling. “Lapis Lazuli, I demand you tell me why you left my amazing brunch early!” She pointed at Lapis from the doorway, a serious look on her face.

 

Such an accusatory tone. Lapis rolled her eyes. “I told you, I had math club.” She gestured to Aquamarine, who was sporting a t-shirt with an image of a linear equation on it. “You have to admit, it looks pretty cool.” Aquamarine said proudly.

 

“Silence, you! You’re in a booster seat for human babies!” Peridot hissed.

 

Aquamarine slouched in her seat, pouting. Zircon gave her tiny pal a few pats on the back and offered her a breadstick. She glared at Peridot, but said nothing. Peridot ignored the sad display and turned her attention back to Lapis. “It was the ideal brunch, Lapis. You didn’t even finish your chicken.” The green gem said sadly. Lapis sighed, facepalming. “The brunch was fine, Peridot, but you have got to stop following me around.” she said “And stop staring at me with them big ol’ eyes.”

 

All Peridot could bring herself to do was stare at the floor. Maybe she came off too strongly. Maybe she should've taken it slow. And apparently, Lapis did know the word brunch. She nodded to herself. “...Okay. I’ll see you later. Have fun with… math.”

 

Everyone seemed to be confused, even the young girl behind the cash register, who Peridot just noticed was listening to the whole scene go down. Peridot walked out of the restaurant and sulked the whole way back to the barn. She knew these bad feelings would pass, but right now she felt like complete shit. When she got back to the barn, she just curled up on the couch in the corner and lay there, choosing to sleep it off instead of actually addressing her problems.

  
  


\--

  
  


The rest of math club went smoothly. They stuck to basic algebra, at least for now since it was their first meeting of the year. Lapis can’t even remember why she started the club, aside from everyone in it was blue and the idea of math seemed interesting. She waved goodbye to Zircon, who was carrying Aquamarine out of the shop princess style, and begun to get herself ready to leave as well. She payed the bill, since she was the only one with money (and Zircon just had to eat her own weight in breadsticks, apparently) and the only one who stuck around long enough.

 

Seriously, Zircon ate a lot of breadsticks. It was scary.

 

Lapis shrugged. She pretty much had nothing to do for the rest of the day, and the afternoon was already turning to evening. She figured she should just be go back to her tree since she was burnt out on social interaction already. Sometimes being around other gems and humans was just too much. Relaxing seemed like a much better idea than going to visit someone. So, tree it is.

 

 _Sounds good to me_ , she thought, flying off to her special oak.

  


\--

  


Peridot groaned, trying to get comfortable on the couch. After about five minutes of struggling, she decided it was impossible and rolled onto the floor. “Come on, this is stupid.” She said to herself. “Just… get up already.”

 

Despite her words, she still lay there on the wooden floor. It felt like she was glued to it or something.

 

It took exactly fifteen minutes to gather her strength to sit up, and five more to actually stand. Peridot glanced at the couch, only just now noticing her tape recorder lodged between the cushions. Huh.

 

She hopped back on the couch, fished her tape recorder out of the seats and stared at it for a while. She had to log her progress, even if it hurt.

 

“Day two was… oh, who am I kidding. It sucked. It fucking sucked. Lapis thinks I’m creepy, apparently, and there's nothing I can do about it. I would just quit now if I hadn't made a promise to myself.” She sighed. “This is my burden, and I have to carry it for the rest of this stupid week. Peridot, out.” She tossed her tape recorder across the couch. Not enough to damage it, but enough for Peridot to release her frustrations.

 

She would try again tomorrow. A new day, a new tactic. She was upset, sad and pissed off, but it only served to make her more determined. But first, she’d have to make things right with Lapis.

 

Lapis always comes first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i should probably note that i have no idea when the next chapter will be out.  
> i got stuff going on and this is just a silly thing. ill try to do it soon because i hate being a let down, haha. 
> 
> thanks for reading folks, i really do appreciate it <3


	3. Borderline Stalking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot finds a new hobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo folks. sorry this chapter is so short. but really its just cause things are gearing up and the next one is gonna be pretty dang long. 
> 
> so hopefully this'll hold ya off until the others one's done.

4:15 P.M., Tuesday.

  
  


Since direct action seemed to only thwart her plans, Peridot thought of a way to spend time with Lapis without bothering her. She figured the common sport of ‘people watching’ would work best, since her pal never seemed to move around much. It should be an easy feat, if all goes well. Which is probably pretty close to what Peridot thought about her previous plans, but, no matter. Even if she was a total failure thus far, she still had determination. She had found a book on the hobby of staring at strangers from some library, and brought it back to the barn for a thorough reading. Also, maybe she shouldn’t call it staring at strangers. She knew Lapis, so it was okay, right? Right. Totally fine.

 

With morals out of the way, she began reading. This was probably a great way to pick up on Lapis’s body language, and the way she acted in general. After this, she might not seem so mysterious anymore.

 

Peridot squinted at a particular section of writing mentioning legality. “Oh, please, it’s not like I’m trying to shatter her or anything.” She scoffed. Even humans were bossy when it came to what was allowed, it seemed. Overall, the book mainly mentioned not being creepy, being aware of local laws, and not photographing someone without consent. Simple rules, really. This was going to be even easier than she initially thought. Peridot nearly grinned at how much fun it would be. 

 

The first step would be, obviously, to locate Lapis. This shouldn't be too difficult, since she rarely went anywhere most of the time. Her best bet would be to check the beach, her weird tree, and Steven's house, Lapis’s top three hangout spots. Peridot’s ideal place to camp out would probably be behind a bush or a building, but she didn't exactly blend into the scenery. She stuck out like a slice of key lime pie in the middle of the road. Weird analogy, but whatever. It was time to get moving, anyway. She gathered up her tape recorder, a pair of binoculars and a sleeping bag unless she got the urge to sleep on the floor. With all of her gear on hand, she set out to find Lapis. The first stop was her tree, since she was there just yesterday. Peridot used her binoculars to examine the branches, but there was no blue within them. 

 

She must have looked at the tree for a solid 5 minutes, telling herself she was just ‘making sure’. She did want to be positive, of course, in case she accidentally didn't see Lapis and lost track of her. 

 

Since she wasn't in the tree, she decided to check the beach next. Usually Lapis would sit on the shore and play with the water from a distance, or just watch the waves. Peridot went through the trouble of building an entire sandcastle to hide behind (which was actually rather impressive looking) and scanned the beach for any sign of Lapis. To her surprise, there she was. Lapis was laying on her back in the shallowest portion of the sea, just letting the water wash over her. Any normal person would think she was dead, but this was basically her equivalent to the human act of meditating. 

 

Peridot watched her for a long time, all the while Lapis barely moved. At about dusk is when Lapis finally stood up, not bothering to expel the water that was dripping off of her. Peridot lowered herself behind her sandcastle, trying to stay hidden but still be able to watch her target. 

 

Thankfully, she wasn't spotted. She let out a small sigh of relief and peeked out from her hiding spot to see what Lapis was up to. The blue gem was pacing along the sand, looking somewhat frustrated. Peridot squinted to get a better look, nearly falling on her face since Lapis glanced in her direction right at that moment. Her metaphorical heart was hammering, and all she could do was stay perfectly still.

 

When she heard the sound of wings beating, she scooted out from behind her sandcastle. Lapis had flown off. 

 

Peridot stood up. There was no time to lose. She grabbed all of her gear and followed Lapis. Not too close, but not too far. She ran, occasionally tripping, but not once did she faceplant. A small victory.

 

Lazuli was surprisingly fast when she wanted to be. Peridot was afraid she had been seen, but she tried to doubt it. _ No way _ , she thought.  _ That sandcastle was the perfect size _ . Besides, it’s not like she wasn't making an effort or anything. Hell, she had been working her ass off for the past two days just to appease the blue gem who almost seemed to hate her. Lapis didn't really hate her, of course. She’s just touchy and very easily annoyed.

 

Regardless of her touchiness, the chase was still on and Peridot had no idea where Lapis was going. It felt like she had been following her for an eternity, and she had nearly forgotten where she was entirely due to being so focused. Lapis never glanced over her shoulder or looked below her, so it was probably somewhat safe to assume she didn't know she was being tailed. And thank god for that. If she had caught onto Peridot following her around again she might’ve snapped, and that was the last thing Peridot wanted when trying her best to flirt.

 

After a few moments, Peridot realized she actually had no idea where she was. It seemed to be a small forest of some kind. The way the evening sun glowed through the leaves was somewhat calming. Even when she was chasing her crush this way and that, it was refreshing to see such a tranquil place. 

 

Unfortunately, tranquility was thrown out the window when she heard a loud rustle from above. Stifling a shriek, Peridot darted behind the nearest tree, praying that she wasn't seen. 

 

Lapis was doing… something in a tree somewhere. It was hard to tell where she was when it sounded like she was everywhere at once. After a few moments of silence, Peridot grew curious and glanced into the clearing from behind her tree trunk. Still nothing. Weird. She took a deep breath, despite not needing it. She’d take anything if it would calm her nerves. 

 

Suddenly, a blue lump fell ungracefully out of one of the trees, landing with a loud “Fuck!” 

Lapis must’ve misstepped. Or maybe she just wanted to dive out of a tree. 

 

Peridot scooted further behind the tree, still observing Lapis closely. Lapis seemed fine, as she stood up quickly and brushed the dirt and leaves off of herself. Little did she know, a little twig with a single leaf on it was stuck in her hair. Again, Lapis looked around the area, as if searching for something. Peridot wondered what she could’ve been looking for all day. She seemed so focused and it made her want to help her. 

 

Almost as suddenly as Lapis had her fall, Peridot leaned a bit too far, hit her knee on a root and fell face first into a pile of leaves. This was it. This is how Peridot dies.

 

Lapis shot up from picking a burr out of her dress. “What the- You again?” She growled. Peridot sat up, leaves in her hair as well. “Lapis! I didn't- I mean I…” At this point, Peridot knew she was screwed. Lapis scowled. She didn't want to absolutely terrify the poor green gem, but if this kept up it might be her only option.

 

“Look, just… stay away from me okay?” She tried to avoid showing her frustration, probably because Peridot already looked like she was on the verge of tears. Lapis really didn't want to upset her further when she was so miserable.

 

“Lapis, no, wait. Please.” Peridot whimpered, struggling to explain herself. “I wasn't being weird this time, I swear.”

 

Lapis nearly rolled her eyes. “Stay away from me.” She repeated, then spread her wings and took off through the trees.  _ Damn. There she goes. _ Peridot thought, still a little sad. She wasn't too upset, since she probably should've foresaw this anyway. It didn't make her feel any less defeated though. 

 

Still she wiped the single tear from her eye and stood up straight. There must have been something wrong with her approach this time, and she’d be damned if she didn't work out what. Peridot sat in the middle of the leaf pile she had previously tackled and whipped out her tape recorder. “Alright, I’m gonna get right to the point. Day 3 was… Interesting. I spent all day studying ‘people watching’ so I could try it out with Lapis, and of course I fucked it up, and now she just… she barely even talks to me anymore.” She sighed, then continued. “I have to work out something. Something not even Lazuli can resist. And I won't fuck it up this time. Peridot, out.”

 

She halted her recording and flopped backwards into the leaves, letting out an exasperated groan. Even though she was still determined, she just needed a few moments. And a few more to pick the leaves out of her hair.

 

She sat up after about five minutes, stretched her limbs and set back out towards the barn to reflect on her plan. In fact, she had almost deviated from the plan entirely. It was supposed to be halfway done after the ‘date’ yesterday, and then followed by another more intimate date. Of course Peridot got herself too flustered to write that part, so she just scribbled it out and wrote “SOMETHING HAPPENS” below it. But just maybe, Peridot could convince Lapis to come over again, and maybe even do more with her…

  
So, it was settled. Peridot was back on track and her plan was in motion once more. But of course, there’s only one way to see if it’ll go well. 


	4. The Setup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot gets in trouble, and Blue Zircon meets up with an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> greetings again, all you people.
> 
> i hope you had a good holiday season or are just enjoying the week. i got you a present, its a crappy chapter.
> 
> as usual, enjoy !

8 o’clock A.M., Wednesday. 

  
  
  


Lapis landed carefully on the sand in front of Steven’s house, almost rushing up the stairs to the door. She didn't even bother with knocking  and entered the house. Steven was sitting on his bed with Zircon, who was playing a videogame with the young human. Lapis called for her to come outside, and Zircon quietly apologized to Steven for leaving early.

 

Once they were out of the house, Lapis sighed. “Sorry to bother you. I know it’s a bad time.” 

Zircon shrugged. “It’s no big deal. But I can tell something's on your mind.” She observed. “I’m guessing that’s what you called me here for, yes?”

Lapis nodded. It was like Zircon could read her mind. “It’s about Peridot.” She said. “She’s been acting… off.”

 

This seemed to catch Zircon's interest. “Do tell.” She urged. Lapis sat down in the sand, inviting her friend to join her. Zircon didn't really enjoy getting sand on her butt, but Lapis seemed like she needed to vent, so she did it anyway. “She’s been following me around for the past few days. I mean, I know she has a crush on me but it’s getting creepy.”

 

“Huh. She did barge in on us during math club. I didn't know she was chasing after you, though.” It did seem odd. Peridot wasn't really one to hound others when she wasn’t wanted. Perhaps this  _ was  _ serious. Zircon didn’t want to pressure Lapis for details unless she was fully comfortable, but the other blue gem continued anyway. “It’s like she’s obsessed with me or something. It’s just…” She stopped herself, as if she just made some amazing discovery. One could say she did. “Wait a minute. Aren’t you a lawyer?” Lapis asked.

 

Oh no. Hell no. 

 

“You know I don’t do that anymore. I don’t even know how court works on this planet.” Zircon suppressed a groan. “Listen Lapis, I’m your friend, but that’s what I did back home. I’ve got other stuff going for me.” Lapis sighed again. “Yeah. I know.” 

 

Lapis just laid on her back in the sand, staring up at the sky. It seemed wrong just to leave her like this, so Zircon did some thinking. “How about this; I’ll go find Peridot and give her a verbal slap on the wrist, and if she doesn’t stop, then…” Well, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. “I guess I’ll take her to court…?” It was a terrible idea. Going to court meant she’d not only have to figure out how human law worked, but also contact an old ‘friend’. One she had been avoiding like the plague ever since she arrived on Earth. But Lapis treated her well, and she didn’t want to fuck up one of her few friendships.

 

Honestly, she didn't even know if following someone around was illegal. She’d really need more specifics before getting into all this.

 

Lapis gave a small smile. “Thanks. This is all getting too weird for me.” 

 

“I do need to do some research first, but I’ll confront Peridot this afternoon. Sound good?” Zircon asked, hoisting herself out of the sand that was absolutely getting in her pants. “Yeah.” Lapis replied, still laying down. 

 

And with that, Zircon took off to the nearest library. Steven had taught her about the many resources there and she was positive they'd have information on laws too. It was a bit hard to believe, really. Almost a year of throwing her lawyer status out the window, and suddenly she’s being dragged into another case. It might even be fun. Emphasis on the ‘might’.

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


Peridot was enjoying the morning, organizing the mess she had made of the barn while revising her plans last night. She figured today she could attempt an apology and ask Lapis over one more time. She felt dreadful after yesterday and was set on making it up to her friend. She decided to hide the numerous papers she had strewn about in some old cabinet that had been laying on its side. 

 

After her chore, she decided to sit down and catch up on some Camp Pining Hearts, which she hadn't watched in favor of hounding Lapis for three days. Just as she had inserted the tape and comfortably seated herself, Peridot heard a voice from outside of the barn calling for her.

 

Brief excitement struck her. Had Lapis come back? She switched off the television and ran to see what the ruckus was. Unfortunately, it was not Lapis, but rather another blue gem. Blue Zircon, probably coming to judge her for making a scene in the pizza shop a while ago. Peridot sighed and prepared to be shamed. “What is it?” She asked, scowling.

 

Zircon swallowed hard. Peridot was pretty scary when she was irritated. “S-sorry for intruding. There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.” She explained, trying to ignore the fury behind that green visor. Peridot invited her in anyway, despite throwing looks that could kill. “If this is about me roasting Aquamarine for being short, I didn't mean it.” 

 

“Um, actually, Lapis sent me to talk to you.” 

 

“She did what? Why?” Peridot whirled around to face Zircon. Oh lord, what if Lapis was so upset she couldn't even speak to Peridot personally? The mere thought made her tremble. “Well, she’s pretty shaken up. She said she doesn't want you following her around anymore. And, well, I don't wanna scare you, but technically what you’re up to falls under harassment.” Zircon stated calmly. “And also stalking.” 

 

Peridot tilted her head. “That can't be right. I did my research. You can even read the same book I did.” The green gem pointed out. She knew what she read, and Mac Tonight over here wasn't about to school her. 

“I read a copy at the library. It explicitly states that you shouldn't follow someone, but watching someone while they're in one place is fine. Did you even read that far?” Zircon crossed her arms. She didn't want to get heated, but she also didn't have much patience. “I… skimmed.” Peridot mumbled. Oh boy. It was gonna be one of those days. Zircon sighed. “Look, just… don’t go following Lapis anymore, okay? I don't want this to get serious.” In all honesty, she was just trying to avoid the shitstorm that is upset Lapis Lazuli, and the prospect of having to do lawful things for the first time in a year. 

 

Peridot hesitated, then nodded. “Fine.”

 

Since it didn't seem like she was going to say anything else, Zircon thanked her and stepped out of the barn. Hopefully that was the end of the whole situation. 

  
  
  


Peridot sat on the ground, attempting to gather her thoughts. Either Lapis didn't want to see Peridot face to face, or just wanted to scare her with the law. She frowned. This plan of hers seemed to cause nothing but trouble. Maybe she’d better apologize to Lapis and leave her alone. But right now, she just wanted to sit around and do nothing. Putting in effort would come later. 

 

She let out a sigh. She could be going to court, or even be arrested, all because of her stupid crush. She didn't really know how all that court crap goes, but it sounded like a big deal. Peridot just wanted to implode and never show herself in public again. She knew it was unreasonable. She knew she had to be responsible about this.

 

Okay. Whatever. She’d go find Lapis and apologize and that’ll be the end of it. No more weird crush, no more stalking. That’ll be that, and she’ll be fucking pleased with it.

 

Peridot set off to find Lapis again, the only thing on her mind being a silent prayer that she’d listen. This would work; it had to. She knew she said the same about her other selfish plans, but this was about Lapis, not Peridot. She had to prioritize here.

 

She knew where Lapis would be, embarrassingly so. She felt her face get hot with shame. Had she really been obsessing over her so much? It felt like she had given Lapis those flowers just a few moments ago. She briefly wondered if she had kept them. Peridot shook the thoughts from her head and continued walking. Lapis would be at Steven's house, or the beach, and she was already more than halfway there. When she finally reached the beach, she found Lapis laying on her back, staring at nothing. Peridot suddenly felt tense. She had been eerily calm the whole walk down here, but now she just wanted to run away. Okay.  _ You can do this, Dot _ . She thought, taking a deep breath. 

 

“Um. Hey, Lapis…?” She approached the blue gem slowly. Lapis slowly sat up. “I thought Zircon told you off.” She said flatly. 

 

“I… yes. She did. But I swear I’m not stalking you this time.” Peridot insisted. “I actually, uh… I wanted to apologize. I’ve been so creepy and I didn't even notice because I was so caught up in… you.” She sighed.

 

“You make me feel unexplainable things. It’s like rational thinking doesn't exist around you. I’m sorry. This is dumb. I should leave.” She said quickly, burying her face in her hands. “Hey…” Lapis hoisted herself out of the sand, but Peridot was already scampering off, visor in one hand and the other wiping away tears. Well, shit. Lapis was stunned. She had possibly fucked up Peridot beyond repair and all she could do was watch her go. 

 

She spread her wings and set off for the barn as quickly as she could. No way was she about to leave it like this. Lapis followed Peridot from up high, hoping she wouldn't see her, or how concerned she was. She didn't mean to fuck it up so bad. 

 

You know what? Screw hiding. 

 

Lapis flew ahead of Peridot and spun around, landing right in front of her. Peridot just dropped her visor and continued trying to hide the fact that she’d been crying. She looked like a frightened Chihuahua. “L-Lapis! Um… hi.” Her voice was quiet and shaky. Lapis took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. 

 

“Listen, I’m not mad. You probably got scared when Zircon showed up outta nowhere, but… you scared me. Not in an ‘oh god I fear for my life’ sort of way, but like a ‘sweet sexy shrimp on the barbie why is she so weird’ sort of way.” Lapis explained. “I’d say it wasn’t personal, but it kind of totally was.” Peridot looked stunned, to say the least. But, hey, she stopped crying. So there was that. “I really made you feel like that…?” She asked. Lapis nodded.

 

Damn. 

 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Shh. Don’t be.” Lapis pulled Peridot into a gentle hug. She tried not to notice that she wasn’t hugging back. 

 

“But yeah, that was still absolutely stalking, and I’m still absolutely taking this to court.” Lapis stated, tousling Peridot’s hair. “No hard feelings though, right?”

 

Peridot stepped backwards, picked up her visor out of the dirt and brushed it off. “Oh, it’s on.” She said, putting the visor on her face. The sunlight shone on it in such a way that her eyes weren't even visible.

 

And with the CSI Miami theme song playing in her head, Peridot walked off towards the barn. Of course, she thought she looked way cooler than she really did, but Lapis just chuckled lightly and let her have her moment. What a strange little green bug. 

 

After all that, Lapis figured she ought to go find Zircon, who really wouldn't be happy about all this news. Oh, she’d be pissed, but at least Zircon had the discretion to internalize her pissedness. This was gonna be a long week, wasn't it? Lapis shrugged and walked back to the city, only slightly eager to get started with all this law and order stuff. 

  
  


\--

  
  
  


Zircon was enjoying a nap on Steven’s couch when the door flung open, scaring her shitless. She jumped up immediately, until she realized Lapis was just aggressively letting herself in again. She sighed. “You have got to start knocking, girl.” Lapis didn't take much notice of Zircon. “Sorry.” She mumbled. “So I told Peridot I’m taking her to court.”

 

Zircon froze. “You- B-but I-” She stammered. Oh god, oh god. Her life was crumbling all around her. “...Why?” 

 

Lapis shrugged. “I mean, she looked pitiful, but she still did all that stuff to me. She creeped me out.” She pointed out. Zircon wanted to facepalm. “You know she could be arrested, right? I know she freaked you out, but do you really want her behind bars because of her feelings?”

 

Lapis just sat on the couch next to Zircon, folding her arms. “I guess that’s for the judge to decide.” She mumbled. “I dunno. We’ll figure it out.” 

Zircon frowned, but she wrapped an arm around Lapis. “Sometimes, you really drive me up the wall, Lazuli. But you’re my friend, and friends always help friends… take their stalkers to court.” That sounded dumb, but it’s the thought that counts. Lapis smiled and gave her pal a hug. “I owe you, lawyerpants.” She purred.

 

“Don’t you dare start calling me that.” Zircon grimaced, making a poor attempt to pry Lapis off of her. No dice. She was clingin’ hardcore.

 

Maybe the situation was weird for now, but it’d probably all work out fine in the end, right? Things always work out when you’re with friends. 

  
  


They spent a majority of the rest of the day talking about nothing in particular on the couch, doing what could be described as cuddling. Could be, as long as one interpreted it that way. Because they totally weren't actually cuddling. Zircon was idly petting Lapis’s hair, watching the sun get ever closer to the sea. She knew it wouldn't last long though. With the news about Peridot and Lapis’s decision still fresh in her mind, she knew she would have to go find someone she dreaded seeing again.

 

After all, a year ago when Zircon arrived on Earth to make her living on a new planet, she didn't come alone. Indeed, she was accompanied by Yellow Zircon, who had been giving her sass the whole way to Earth and had been a general annoyance. Yellow didn't stay in Beach City, and rather opted for traveling to Empire City, where Blue Zircon had only recently found out she had been making it big in the law scene out in the city. It’d be a challenge to try and track her down in such a huge town, let alone trying to get her to come to Beach City for a case. What a nightmare this was going to be.

 

Lapis shuffling around brought Zircon back to reality. She noticed Lapis had fallen asleep, and was trying to get comfortable laying across her friend’s lap. As cute as it was, she needed to get going. The city wouldn't wait for her, and honestly, neither would Yellow. She ever so carefully wiggled out from under the adorable napping Lapis (and covered her in a blanket from the closet, just so she didn't feel abandoned) and scooted out the door, not forgetting to ‘borrow’ some money Pearl had left on the kitchen counter so she could catch a bus.

 

This was going to either go very well, or very, very badly. A solid fifty-fifty chance, but Zircon did not like those odds. She sighed, making her way to the bus stop, only then hoping the driver wouldn't mind a blue alien boarding it as long as she had money. And alas, they didn't. When the bus pulled up the driver gladly accepted the handful of coins and Zircon sat somewhere near the back of the bus, hoping to hide. She didn't do too well with humans yet. All she really had these days was video games and math club. She leaned against the window, since it was pretty clean. She closed her eyes and pretended she was back on the couch, snuggling with Lapis.

 

She stayed that way for a while, not realizing she had fallen asleep until she noticed the few other people getting off the bus, and seeing the bright skyline out of the window. She hurried off the bus and quickly realized she probably should've looked at a phone book or something before she left. Now she was stuck in a giant ass city, with no idea where to find Yellow. 

 

_ Okay, okay. Deep breaths _ . She thought, trying her damnedest to keep it together. She’d just find a phone book laying around or something. Besides, if she's a famous lawyer it shouldn't be too hard to find her anyway. It was like trying to find an alien in a stack of humans. Because that was literally what she was doing.

 

Zircon set off looking for phone books, legal looking buildings, town halls, anything. At this point she expected to see Yellow’s shitty little grin on one of those billboards that just say ‘injured?’. That’s when a thick, yellow book sitting on a bench caught her eye. Bingo. She immediately started flipping through the pages to try and find attorneys. 

 

And there she was. Apparently living in an apartment building, Yellow Zircon lived surprisingly close. “An apartment? So much for famous lawyer, I suppose.” She said to herself. The book listed the address for the building, and Yellow’s phone number. She tore out the page, folded it and stuck it in her pocket. One old business partner and emotional baggage, coming up.

 

To her surprise, the apartment building was only a few blocks from where she was dropped off, but everything looked huge around her. In a way, it reminded her of home. Whether it was a good reminder or not, who knows. She just kept walking in order to avoid that whole can of worms.  

 

When she finally found the right building, she swallowed hard. She highly doubted this would go well.  _ I can’t do this _ , she thought. She located the room number that matched the one on her paper and approached the door. If she had a heart, it’d be pounding. She knocked on the door and immediately found herself backing up when she heard footsteps on the other side. _ I can't believe I’m doing this.  _

 

The door flung open. “...Blue?” 

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Yellow Zircon was never the best at greetings, was she? “Hello to you too, Yellow.” Blue sighed. “Look, this is important, if you could save the snark for later, that’d be nice.”

 

Yellow rolled her eyes. “Get in here.”

 

Blue stepped in, trying to stay as calm as possible. Well, at least the decor wasn't completely hideous. It was actually pretty comfortable looking. She wanted to act as normal as possible, but Yellow was far from normal. Sometimes rude, sometimes weirdly flirty. There was no telling with her.

 

“So, uh… I should just get right to the point. There’s some trouble in Beach City, and I have to take someone to court and, um, basically what I’m saying is… I need your help.” Blue said quickly. She half expected to be laughed at.

 

“I thought you were done with all that, at least last time I checked.” Yellow said, giving Blue a curious look. “I was! I mean, I am! It’s just a special exception for a friend, that’s all.” She explained.

 

Yellow’s face had “Sure, Jan.” written all over it, but she didn't verbally convey the sass. “Look, you’re cute and all, but I’ve got bigger and better things going on here.” 

 

“F-first of all, I am not cute, and second of all, I don't know any other lawyers and I have no idea how legal junk even works on this planet.” Blue sighed. “You’re my last chance, literally.” She was essentially begging. 

 

So, the two Zircons were left staring at each other, one with a look of pleading and the other with a look of slight surprise. Oh, this was gonna be good. Well, maybe for one of the two. 

 

Yellow smiled. Whether it was genuine or not, who knows. “You did come all this way just to see me. Personally, I’d call that cute.” Blue was, to be 100% honest, sweating profusely. “This is strictly business, regardless of how…” she cringed, “cute… I may be.” She stood up straight, trying to regain confidence. Yellow made her feel very strange things. “Just tell me, will you help me or not?”

 

Suddenly, Yellow leaned in almost uncomfortably close. At least it should've been uncomfortable, but it invoked something Blue hated. “I’ll help you. On one condition.” Her old partner spoke so softly she could barely hear her. “Um… and what would that be…?” She asked, trying to ignore how she was basically being snuggled in the middle of Yellow’s apartment. Hell, she had even started holding her hand at some point. How did that get there? She thought briefly.

 

Her inner thoughts were interrupted when she felt lips on her neck. Welp, here we go. If Blue wasn't flustered before she sure as hell was now. “U-um…” 

 

“Oh, did I do that? I wasn't thinking.” Yellow pulled away from the blushing mess of Blue Zircon, smirking. “I’ll come to your stupid hick town. But you owe me another visit.”

 

Blue nodded hazily. “You got yourself a deal.” Then she paused. “Should I go, or stay here or…” She half asked, looking to Yellow for answers.

 

She just shrugged. “I’ll be there in the morning. You may be cute, but I only have one bedroom and your sweaty ass is  _ not _ staying in there.” She said, surprisingly calm. Blue would've been offended any other day, but now she just laughed, patted her old pal on the back and left her to figure out what the morning would hold. Lots of work, she guessed. And maybe more of whatever the hell had happened back there. A part of her hoped so.

 

For now, it was time to catch the bus, head home and figure things out with Lazuli. 

  
  
  


\--

  
  


Lapis opened her eyes, only just now noticing she’d fallen asleep. Blue Zircon was gone, but she had left a blanket on top of Lapis. How thoughtful. 

All the blue gem could think of was what would go down with Peridot. Last time she saw her she seemed pretty confident for someone who was probably going to jail. Lapis didn't even know if she could be arrested, or if any of this was even worth disturbing the peace of the only lawyer she knew. She groaned. This was too much for her sleepy mind. She pulled the blanket over herself and shut her eyes again. It was dark out, and Zircon wouldn't be back for a while. Plus she didn't want to get up and run the risk of waking Steven, who was asleep just upstairs. She just made herself cozy and fell back asleep. 

 

Everything would work out in the morning, right? At the very least, it should.

  
  
  


Lapis opened her eyes once more, being greeted with light this time. It was morning already, and it was surprisingly quiet around the house. It looked like Steven was gone, too, but he left a note on the kitchen counter. Something about being gone on a special mission and being back soon. These days it seemed like Steven barely got to be in his own house anymore, but it wasn't Lapis’s business. She wondered what time it was, but didn't bother checking. 

 

About an hour passed before she heard a knock on the door. Hopefully it was Zircon. 

 

She hoped correctly, as her friend was on the other side of the screen door fidgeting with her fingers. Lapis opened the door, inviting her in. They both got comfortable on the couch before discussing the situation.

“So… how’d it go?” Lapis asked. 

Zircon seemed totally out of it. “Well… um…” She didn't meet Lapis’s eyes. “It was good. Yellow should be here soon and then we can figure out this whole court thing and the whole arresting Peridot thing.” She explained. “I mean, if we can even arrest her. I don't know. I just wanna take a nap.”

 

Lapis knew neither her nor Blue needed naps, but whatever was making her friend so off today would probably be solved via a nap. So, they arranged themselves in a cuddly position much like they had yesterday, now wrapped up in the blanket. It was a pretty adorable scene, really. Lapis wasn't in the mood to sleep again so soon, but she just let her friend K.O. with her arms around her. Of course, the snuggles were totally platonic. Lapis didn't really have an interest in anyone, and Zircon never expressed those kinds of feelings, so it was one big ‘whatever’.

She decided to just chill and wait for her to get up, or for Steven and the other gems to get back. Whichever came first.

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


Peridot, on the other hand, barely got anything done all day. She had scribbled down some attempts at apologies but none of them seemed good enough.  _ Could you even script something like that? _ She thought. 

Maybe it was best to go with the flow, but the flow scared her. She wanted to know what was happening, when and how as much as she could control it. She groaned and grabbed her tape recorder.

“Okay, screw the intro. My plan is off the rails. Absolutely nothing has gone my way except for the first  damn day and I'm… I'm stumped. Apparently I have to go to court at some point, so that’s a thing. I have no idea if this is gonna work, but I think I have an idea.” She was, honestly, a little panicked. She may have shown nonchalance in front of Lapis, but she really was freaked out.

  
Here’s to not being arrested, hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi again. now its time for an important message. the short version is: im tired, the holidays were crazy, and im gonna be on hiatus until february.
> 
> you can see a more detailed (and more whiny) explanation on my tumblr which if you actually like my stuff and want updates i advise you give it a follow -> yasbid.tumblr.com
> 
> thats all for now, happy new year and all that jazz.


	5. Law & Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot goes to court.  
> Nobody knows how any of this works, except Yellow Zircon, who probably stopped caring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imma drop a mac'n'cheese BOMB on ya!  
> um. disregard that. sorry for not updating since like..christmas.  
> heres a fun fact: i only really like the end of this chapter. the rest makes me wanna do unspeakable things. 
> 
> anyways, enjoy.

6:54, A.M., Thursday.

  
  
  


Blue Zircon got to sleep for exactly 54 minutes before there was knocking on the door again. Lapis, however, was stuck under the sleepy gal, so answering the door was futile. 

“We don’t have a lock, you know!” She called out. That door was pretty flimsy anyway. 

Yellow Zircon took that as a signal to just walk in, so she did. Then she spotted the snuggle session on the couch.

 

Oh.

 

“Please, get her off of me.” Lapis pleaded, wiggling uncomfortably. 

 

Yellow raised a brow, but didn’t say anything. She just settled for dragging Blue mercilessly onto ground. That woke her up for sure. Though, all she did was mumble something about the floor being cold and wanting Lapis. She barely even moved much, and within seconds she was softly snoring again. “Okay, we are not doing this. Get up  _ now _ .” Yellow said firmly. 

Apparently that was enough to make her sit up. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned. “Oh, you made it.” Blue didn’t really expect her to show up. It was kind of a stupid reason to call her the way out here, all because Blue didn’t know how the fuck to lawyer. _ Is lawyering a word? _ She wondered, but shrugged it off since there was no red squiggly line in her mind. “I didn’t have any reason not to. I haven’t been getting assignments at all lately.” Yellow explained. Blue just nodded, not bothering to stand up.

 

And yet again, the Zircons were left speechlessly staring at each other. Wow. Were Yellow’s eyes always so shiny? 

 

“Hate to interrupt the moment, but when are we gonna get this done?” Lapis said, still laying on the couch. Oh, right. The whole reason Yellow was here in the first place. “Well, uh… I don’t know. I have so much to learn about laws and stalking and courtrooms and... “ Blue just realized how much sheer work this was going to be. And for what? Putting Peridot in the stoney lonesome? It’s not like she was going to hurt Lapis or anything. “Do we really have to do this?” She looked to Lapis for answers, but the ocean gem looked completely serious. 

 

“She was harassing me. She’s not a bad gem, sure, but she was creeping me the fuck out.” She said sternly. The two Zircons cringed almost in unison. There really wasn’t any way to weasel out of this one.

“Okay, well, we can't even guarantee she’ll be arrested, or know how long.” Blue reminded her friend, and Yellow nodded in agreement. 

Lapis wasn't really listening anymore. She was lost in a whole other world of her thoughts. Maybe it was kinda shitty of her to try and get Peridot in jail. Hell, she made her cry yesterday. Was it too late go back on all this?

 

“So, our first stop would be the library. You’ll have to read a lot. That's the easy part.” Yellow explained. 

 

“Uh, I know I asked for your help but I'm fairly sure I can read by myself--” Blue cut herself off when she felt something gently smack her buttocks. “You have gotta be kidding me.” She said flatly. Yellow gave a tiny giggle and wrapped an arm around Blue. 

“I’m just messing with you. Come on, let's go arrest an alien.” And with that they were out the door, leaving Lapis slightly stunned on the couch. 

There really was no undoing this, unless she was making Blue Zircon learn the ins and outs of human law for nothing. That’d just be a waste of time. But she couldn't shake the mental image of Peridot wiping away her tears.

 

This was hitting her like a ton of bricks. Had she been leading Peridot on? Was it wrong to humor her by going to that weird brunch date? “Who the fuck knows.” She said to no-one in particular. This was her problem, and the best thing to do at this point was to just see how it plays out. 

  
  
  
  
  


\--

  
  
  
  


So, libraries. The Zircons were fairly silent on their trip, only occasionally exchanging weird glances. One could say there was something between them, but god only knows what went through their heads. They could be intimately snuggling one minute and chewing each other out the next. It's probably better not to try and put a label on this relationship.

Tensions of the weirdo sort aside, they arrived at the library, and Yellow directed her partner in crime (or law) to the legal section of things. Blue swallowed audibly at the sight of all the thick books. There were so many, and holy shit, they were all huge. 

Yellow compiled a few into a nice stack and carried them to the front desk. Though Blue couldn't help but notice her inclusion of ‘Law for Dummies’. Not so subtle with that one, Yellow. They walked out of the building, books in hand, and it was over in a matter of minutes. 

 

Though, Blue had been thinking. A lot. Really, she had been ever since Lapis first brought up this whole thing. Would she actually express her concerns to her friend? Probably not. But it was still a very much avoidable mess of a situation. Yet here she was, about to get tutored by someone she hasn’t seen in a year. Awesome. 

“So…” Yellow began “If you want to get anything done, you should probably start reading as soon as possible.” She stated. They were almost back to the house now, since they really didn’t have anywhere else to do this. They settled down on the couch, since Lapis seemed to have wandered off somewhere. She probably just needed a moment to herself or something.

 

In any case, it was about time they got to work. Blue picked the shortest looking book from the stack to start with, since it was just a brief summary of what the hell U.S. laws are supposed to be. She tried to focus on the book, but it was getting a bit difficult since she noticed Yellow was getting increasingly closer to her, almost leaning on her shoulder. 

Blue would have asked her to kindly sod off if she wasn't occasionally explaining the more complicated aspects in a way she could actually understand. She chose to hold back her hostilities for now. But, jeez, Yellow was really encroaching here. It’s almost like she wanted to distract Blue and just do… whatever Yellow Zircon likes to do with her free time. Which is not something she’d like to find out from experience.

She had just finished a few paragraphs about juries, and how cool gavels look when her friend spoke up again. “I’m sure you get the gist of it by now. It’s sort of like court back home, but more human-y and horribly broken.” She explained while very unsubtly wrapping an arm around Blue’s shoulders. 

 

“Speaking of human-y things, do you know any judges who would get involved in a case like this?” Blue asked, slightly trembling under the touch. “How about that blue lady? You know she’s- um…” To be honest, Yellow forgot who the hell she even was. “You mean Holly? I hardly think she’s qualified to be-”

“Shut up.” Yellow interrupted, taking Blue by the hand and pulling her into an all-out make out session. Quite frankly, it was a gross feeling. A sort of so disgusting it’s nice kind of feeling. Unfortunately, they were in a weird position, and the entire stack of books got kicked over. Whoops.

 

Blue gently shoved Yellow off of her and took a few moments to recollect herself. “What… why did you… oh, nevermind.” She grumbled. “Sorry, I didn't really think… before I, uh…” Yellow tried to formulate an explanation, but it was no use. “I mean, I didn't say I didn't like it.” Blue shrugged, still a little daunted by the fact that someone she hadn't seen in a year just had her tongue in her mouth. Yellow grinned, pulling in the blue gem for more smooches.

 

So, they didn't really get much done that afternoon at all. In reality they spent the entire day doing god knows what on that couch, not bothering to pick up the toppled books. 

Yellow Zircon was a great tutor.

  
  
  
  
  


\--

  
  
  
  


Later that day, Blue Zircon explained to Lapis that they had a very meaningful conversation and the ball of sunshine that is Holly Blue Agate would be in charge of yelling at Peridot and abusing the hell out of that poor gavel. It was going to be a fun day.

“Wait, does it even really matter whose in the jury or…?” Blue asked Yellow, since she didn't really retain any of the information she got from the one book she read. “Not particularly. But I don't think old what’s-her-name is going to pick humans.” 

 

“That reminds me, does the judge even get to pick who gets to be in the jury? Do they just let random people walk in?” Blue took a deep breath. She was just now realizing how little of this she actually understood. Yellow gave her a concerned look. “First of all, take it easy. I know you’re having a bit of a culture shock moment, but this is a lot easier than it looks.” She tried her best to comfort her, patting her fellow Zircon on the back. 

“Listen,” she began “why don't you take a break while I get a hold of Holly?” Yellow suggested. Blue nodded, sitting down on the couch next to the rather tired looking Lapis. Her friend didn't say anything, but she gave her a small smile. I guess that's all one can muster in times like these. 

 

Meanwhile, Yellow was making use of her magic monocle (yes, she really calls it that) and brought up her communicator. She had just about every gem currently on Earth’s contact info. Quite a handy little gadget. However, Holly Blue apparently sucked at answering calls and Yellow never heard a thing but the dial tone. 

Blue tilted her head when Yellow seemed a bit frustrated, but she never spoke. They all just kinda sat there in silence, in the middle of Steven’s house.

 

Finally, Holly finally picked up her communicator. “What is it?” The voice on the other end of the line barked. Yellow forgot she was… like that. Yeesh. Did she really want this chick in such a powerful position? She shook her head. Either way, she barely knew anyone else who’d do it. “You called me about 7 times in a row. Do you know how hard it is to sleep with that incessant ringing?” Holly said. Yellow raised a brow. “It’s… the afternoon…”

Having exactly zero percent of this shit, Holly spoke up again. “You know I need my beauty rest.” She reminded the Zircon. Beauty? ...Right.

 

“Anyways, get your ass to Beach City so you can sit on a glorified high chair and yell at a tiny alien. And be quick about it.” Yellow said. “Wh- what? Wait, I-” Holly was barely mid-sentence before Yellow hung up. Smooth. 

Lapis raised a brow at the whole exchange. “So… is she actually going to show up?” The blue gem asked. Yellow just shrugged. “Probably. She likes yelling, doesn't she? It’s a win all around.” Lapis didn't look too convinced.  Honestly, it’d be a relief if she didn't choose to come. Holly was rarely a pleasantry.

 

So, that was that. The Zircons said their farewells and went off together, leaving Lapis alone on the couch with her thoughts. In all honesty she didn't want to think about this. Would it be too weird to just go ask Peridot for an apology and call off the whole suing thing? That definitely seemed a lot easier. But she hadn’t seen Peridot since her… dramatic exit the other day. Lapis didn’t know if she even wanted to see her after that all went down. 

  
  
  
  


\--

  
  
  
  
  


In the barn, Peridot was trying her darndest to avoid a panic attack. Uncountable amounts of hours have passed and she had written uncountable  amounts of drafts for her apology. Yeah, this really wasn't something one could script. With a defeated sigh, she crumpled up yet another piece of paper and held her head in her hands, with her visor getting uncomfortably in the way.

“How am I supposed to do this…?” She whined. But then, she paused, taking a moment to think. Did she even have to show up to the courtroom at all? Could she just… not go? Oh wait, police. Peridot frowned. Looks like just avoiding her responsibilities wasn't an option.

 

But then again, there weren't many cops in Beach City.  _ I’m gonna have to stop myself in my own tracks _ , she thought. She’d already broken the law enough. There was no need to do it again intentionally.

She stood up, brushed herself off and swallowed hard. Enough fuckin’ around. Just go find Lapis and say  ‘sorry I stalked you’. Easy, right?

 

She remembered to put her tape recorder where she would actually find it, and set off for Steven’s house. There was almost no doubt that she’d be there. After all, she probably didn't have math club today. 

Peridot ever so gracefully crawled up the stairs to Steven’s house on all fours. She wasted no time with knocking and just let herself in. “Um… Lazuli…?” She called, peeking in through the door.

Lapis was still on the couch, laying on her back like she was in an open casket. She didn't even want to look at the doorway when she heard Peridot’s voice. The little green gem scooted herself in and shut the door behind her. “I’d like to uh, talk with you.” She said, twiddling her fingers.

 

“And why’s that?” Lapis asked flatly, staring at a cup of water on the coffee table. Oh. She had the blue morning glories in the cup. So she did keep them. Peridot inhaled deeply. “I wanted to…” Come on. Just say it. “Apologize.” 

Now that caught Lapis’s attention. “I just wondered if, if maybe I did something for you then maybe you’d… not get a restraining order?” She proposed with an awkward smile. “Something like…?” Lapis crossed her arms.

“Say you wanted a, uh…” Peridot squinted, trying to think of stuff she had at the barn. “A new couch! Or maybe you just want a hug?” 

 

She really wasn't selling this well. 

 

“First of all, I’m not opposed to hugs, but I’ve already bothered two lawyers and now Holly Blue Agate is going to be in this house, possibly yelling, and I do not want to endure that for nothing.” Lapis said. “So, sure, I’ll take whatever you give me but…” She shrugged.

Peridot continued to play with her fingers. “Does that mean I can hug you…?” She mumbled. Lapis resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but held out her arms regardless.

 

Peridot suppressed a happy squeak and all but ran to the couch and leaped into Lapis's arms. 

Lapis let out a little ‘oof’ but there wasn't anything to do at this point but hold Peridot. So she did.

Now, usually, people don't hug those they're trying to put in jail, but… she really couldn't deny that Peridot was kinda okay-ish. Little bit on the creepy side, but okay.

 

Also, traditional hugs didn't usually last this long.  _ Is this cuddling? _ Oh my god, wait.  _ This is cuddling. _ Lapis thought, glancing down at Peridot, who was busy nuzzling into Lapis's chest. How could she sue a face like that? She gulped. “Um…” She attempted to start a sentence, but all her words flew out of existence when Peridot looked up at her. 

Good lord, she was… something. A word Lapis didn't know. Or at least one she didn't want to think her stalker of all people was.

 

“You know, you never did apologize.” She reminded Peridot.

“Oh. I’m… sorry I stalked you.” Peridot blurted out. That sounded better in her head. Lapis smiled. She really wasn't listening, but she caught the ‘I'm sorry’ bit and that was good enough for her. She was actually occupying herself with Peridot's hair. 

“Your hair is so weird…” She whispered. Peridot blinked. “My…?” She trailed off when Lapis just sort of… started petting her. Oh, that was nice. Peridot found herself leaning into Lapis's hand.

 

Cute. That was the word. Peridot was cute. But, Lapis wanted to curse herself for thinking that. She didn't feel that way towards anyone. She pulled her hands away from Peridot and sighed. 

 

Peridot saw Lapis looked a bit sad all of a sudden and wondered if she could help. What do humans do to cheer each other up? She asked herself, thinking hard. She remembered a scene from a movie she watched and the solution seemed so simple. Peridot leaned a bit closer and gave Lapis a tiny kiss on the lips.

Wait, no, that’s what humans that are dating do. _Shit. Abort mission. Help me._

 

Lapis gently pushed Peridot over so that she was on her back and stood up. “I… have to go… to the bathroom. Bye.” She darted off down the hall, closing the door behind her and leaving a confused Peridot on the couch. She really expected Lapis to yell at her or hit her or something.

Was that her cue to leave? Should she just wait for Lapis to come out of the bathroom instead? 

 

How far she’d deviated from her original plan almost made her laugh. Almost.   
  


 

And then there was Lapis, breathing heavily in front of the mirror, leaning on the sink. She couldn't describe… whatever that sickening feeling in her chest was, but she knew she wanted to rip it out. But then, she took a few seconds to remember just how Peridot’s lips felt on hers. It was so soft.

 

She promptly punched the mirror.

 

It took her a few moments to catch onto the reality of the situation, looking up to see the mirror in pieces, and her shattered reflection. Then she noticed the shards that had fallen in the sink. And then the stinging pain in her knuckles. A few tiny bits of glass jutted awkwardly from her hand. “Fuck.” She whined. 

Peridot shot up the moment she heard some sort of crash from the bathroom. She ran as fast as she could and swung the door open, finding the mirror in pieces and Lapis hunched over the sink with a pained look on her face. “Lapis! Are you okay? What… What happened?” Peridot tried to help, but didn't really know what to do. 

 

Lapis just held out her injured hand, and Peridot nodded, grabbing a first aid kit from some drawer. Luckily, it included tweezers. 

So, they spent about 20 minutes sitting on the bathroom floor. Peridot had been meticulously plucking out every piece of glass from Lapis's hand. To be fair, there weren't that many, but she didn't want to take any risks. Lapis flinched as the last shard was pulled from her skin. Peridot wrapped a bandage around her hand and that was that. 

“That should be good. Here, take it easy okay?” Peridot said, standing up and offering Lapis her hand. She pulled the blue gem off the ground and she mumbled something that sounded like ‘thanks’.

 

Before Peridot could say anything else, the sound of the front door being opened filled the house. 

 

“Do we really have to meet here? This place looks… ancient.” An unfamiliar voice said. “We don't have anywhere else to go for this kind of stuff…” There’s one Peridot recognized. Blue Zircon, the other Zircon, and someone else, it sounded like.

Lapis seemed a little curious and poked her head out from the bathroom. Looks like the Zircons got a hold of Holly after all. “Oh, Lapis! Wonderful timing.” Blue said. 

_Uh huh. Sure_. Lapis smiled anyway. “Yeah…”

 

Peridot followed after her and stepped out of the bathroom. “Wait a minute. You’re that peridot I’ve heard so much about, aren't you?” Yellow Zircon asked. Peridot squeaked and hid behind Lapis's legs. “Aren't you supposed to be suing her?” Holly had been here for about 2 minutes and she had already started asking one too many questions. Lapis swallowed. “It’s… complicated.” 

 

“Evidently.” Holly replied. “Aaanyways… Shouldn't we get started?” Blue Zircon suggested. Though, Yellow looked like she had left the oven on. “We don’t have a courtroom.” She said to exactly nobody in the room. 

Blue blinked. “Oh.” She scratched the back her of neck. “Can’t we just find one and walk in?” Yellow scoffed. “Yes, let’s just waltz in and  _ borrow  _ a courtroom. Great idea.” 

 

“I-it was merely a suggestion…” Jeez, Blue hated it when she whipped out the sass cannons on her. She knew Yellow better than anyone in the room and she was still never prepared for it. “Uh huh. How about I actually call the people at the court in Empire City instead of breaking in?” 

“Good, uh… good idea.” 

  
  


“So, are we just not going to question what happened to these two, or…?” Holly asked, trying to break the uncomfortable tension between the Zircons. “It’s a long story. A long, weird story.” Lapis said. “And I kissed her!” Peridot announced proudly, still hidden behind Lapis’s calves. 

“Shush!” Lapis hissed. “She’s full of lies, don't-”

“What?!” Holly exclaimed. Even the Zircons looked surprised. 

 

Lapis opened her mouth, but was interrupted by the sound of the warp pad activating. 

 

“We’re home!” Steven said excitedly. 

Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl, however were more concerned with what the hell was happening in the middle of the living room.

“Uhh… you guys okay?” Amethyst asked. 

 

“S-sorry, we’re kind of… Lapis, what the fuck?” Blue said. Garnet made sure to cover Steven’s ears just in time. Pearl cleared her throat. “Well, um… we were just about to leave and… what was it?” 

 

“Steven wanted pizza.” Garnet reminded her. “Y-yes... “ Pearl said uncomfortably.

“Usually I’m all for drama, but I really don’t wanna fool with… the council of blueberries.” Amethyst commented, vaguely gesturing towards the living room that mostly contained blue gems. Steven shrugged. “She’s got a point… A really, really weird point.”

 

“Yeah, no, let’s get out of here. Good luck with that suing thing.” Garnet said, picking up Amethyst princess style.

With that, they hurried out the door, eager to escape the awkward scene. 

 

Lapis sighed when the door closed. “Listen, it was so sudden, and she just did it, and I didn't initiate anything, so-” 

“Okay, okay, calm down.” Yellow stopped her. “My only question is, do we actually have to sue her, or would you rather let me go home and make out with her all day?”

Blue shot her a glare. She knew she snapped a bit earlier, but Yellow had to cut down on her snark levels. “I mean, if there’s an easier solution to this… I’d think we should take it.” Blue hesitantly agreed. 

 

“I’m having conflicting feelings, okay?” Lapis said, scowling. Peridot slowly scooted away from her. “I just… need some time to work this out.” 

“You’re not the only one who feels conflicted…” Peridot muttered, now sitting on the floor by the couch. “I tried so hard to just be honest with you, and give you my stuff, and try to get to know you better, and you still barely even look at me!” 

 

Lapis gave the green gem a weird look. “News flash, ding dong: following someone around isn't exactly how you're supposed to confess your feelings.” She snapped. “I had everything written down, thank you very much. You’re just so… confusing. And complicated. And I… don’t know how to talk to you.” She locked her eyes to the floor, unable to look at Lapis anymore. The other three gems in the room might as well had popcorn watching the heated scene. 

 

“Um… Peridot? Maybe you should go, for the time being.” Blue Zircon cut in, smiling awkwardly. Peridot frowned. She immediately regretted her little outburst. She shouldn't have yelled at Lapis. “Okay. I’ll… see you later, Lapis.”

Lapis was having her regrets as well. Peridot was just trying to tell her how she felt. All she had done was show affection in the only way she knew how, and now she was being punished for it. Hell, she even took care of Lapis when she was having her panic session in the bathroom. 

 

She didn't reply, and instead just watched Peridot walk out of the door. 

“If we’re done with whatever that was, we can go to the courthouse tomorrow morning, if you'd like.” Yellow said, having long since ended her call with the court. Lapis stared at the door, then down to her bandaged hand. “Yeah.” 

  
  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


“Peridot, you are due at the courthouse in Empire City at 8:15 A.M., Friday morning. And please, don't be late.” It was Holly Blue’s voice, coming through the voicemail on the old telephone in the barn. Peridot scribbled the time down on a small piece of paper with a green crayon, then quickly deleted the voicemail, if only to make Holly shut up. 

 

She let out a little sigh, sitting down on the floor and hugging her knees. “I’m stupid.” She grumbled.  _ Stupidly in love. _ The thought made her laugh bitterly. How on earth did she let herself get so wrapped up in this? Her face got hot with embarrassment when she remembered all the things she did in a desperate grab for Lapis’s attention. “No wonder she hates me.” Even her apology just turned into another attempt to try and get something out of her. But flirting with Lapis was like flirting with a brick wall.

 

Peridot briefly considered finding a brick, painting it blue and writing ‘Lapis’ on it somewhere. It’d basically be the same thing.

Relationship problems aside, it was getting late. The sun had just dipped below the horizon and there really wasn't much left to do for the day. So, Peridot spent a couple hours cleaning up the barn just to keep her mind off things.

 

She wasn't a fan of tidying, but it wasn't like anyone was gonna do it for her. Once everything wasn't cluttering the floor, she grabbed a broom, made sure she was holding it the right way and begun sweeping. 

Peridot glanced down, noticing a rather stubborn stain on the floorboards. She swept at the odd line, but it barely even smudged. After a closer look, she realized it was the marker line from when Steven tried to convince Lapis to stay in the barn. Ultimately, she declined, which is why Lapis just lives wherever. She seemed to be more fond of nature than being cooped up indoors.

If only she had stayed. If only Peridot gained her trust from the beginning. Maybe she wouldn't be chasing after her now. 

 

Peridot put her broom back in the corner, and figured the sweeping could be done later. For now, she just wanted to do all she could do to comfort herself.

She stepped out of the barn, and looked towards the sky. The stars were only just starting to come out, but there were still so many. One of the benefits of living way out in the country, she guessed. That was what she loved about the barn. No stress, no lawyers, no awkward fumbling, just Peridot and the stars.

Peridot made herself comfortable laying in the grass and stayed there until she didn't want to keep her eyes open anymore.

  
  
  
  


\--

  
  
  
  


When she opened her eyes again, the only star she could see was the sun, rising from the same direction the moon had hours ago. Peridot stretched, her body feeling weak from staying still for so long. She rubbed her eyes and shakily stood up.

A bit of panic shot through her when she realized she should probably look at a clock. She darted inside, finding one of her analog clocks. 7:05. There was still time. She gave a sigh of relief.

 

But now, she had to figure out what the hell she was gonna do. She had never been to court before, but neither had most of the gems who were taking her to court. So who knows what kind of clusterfuck it would be. Peridot just wanted to look somewhat nice, and hopefully not be arrested.

She should probably figure out the not getting arrested part first. If Lapis got to have a lawyer, so did she, right? Peridot smirked, picking up her telephone and dialed someone she could almost definitely wrap around her finger.

 

“Hello?” 

“This is Peridot. I would like to… request your assistance.”

The unmistakable voice on the other end of the line chuckled. Who could she call other than Yellow Zircon? “I know you don't have any money. It’s gonna be a no from me.” She said.

 

“I have a coupon for unlimited cheesy breadsticks at Fish Stew Pizza.” Peridot informed her.

Yellow went silent for a few moments, then she groaned. “You… are a very lucky gem. I’ll be waiting at the bus stop in twenty minutes. Don't make me wait.” With that, the Zircon hung up.

 

Peridot wasn't going to give in just yet. If she had to go up against Lapis with the law, so be it. All that mushy ‘but she’s so hot’ crap was going to have to wait until after the judges ruling, whatever it may be.

So, she readied herself. She prepared for whatever the court had in mind for her. Peridot phased into a couple different outfits before she created the ideal look. A look that said ‘I know what I’m doing’ and ‘I’m not gonna go to jail even if it kills me’ at the same time.

 

It wasn't much more than a formal variation of her typical uniform, but she modeled it after a tuxedo. She didn't want to wear the actual tuxedo Steven lent to her because, well… she didn't want Lapis to think she only had one fancy shirt. And besides, this tux was not only more swank, but the green hues paired with the yellow necktie just looked more natural on her than a black and white suit.

 

She spent a little more time posing in front of the mirror than she liked to admit, but once she was through, she headed towards the bus stop to meet with her lawyer.

 

Just like she said, Yellow Zircon was waiting right by the bus stop sign. Peridot walked over to her, not making eye contact. “You got the stuff?” Yellow asked. Peridot nodded, pulling the coupon out from one of her suit pockets and handing it to her. Yellow smirked, tucking it into her own pocket. “Nice. Now let's get out of here.” As if her words somehow compelled it, the bus pulled up almost as soon as she finished speaking. 

Once they boarded the bus, they were fairly silent. Peridot wasn't much of a conversationalist sometimes, and Yellow was honestly too wrapped up in thought at the moment. 

 

Probably because a lot of things were going on right now. A lot of confusing and scary things. Thankfully, Peridot was given the pleasure of the window seat, so she wasn't really obligated to talk to her lawyer, even though she probably should be, considering just how much was going on between her and Lapis.

 

“So… what’s with the getup?” Yellow asked, glancing at Peridot’s interesting fashion choice. “What? Oh, this? I just wanted to try something new.” She explained.

“Green is a good color on you. I swear, some people say under certain lighting I look green.” Yellow said. Peridot smiled at the compliment. “Well, green isn't all bad. I think it'd look good on you, too.” 

The rest of the ride was rather peaceful. Apparently, Yellow wasn't always as terrible as she liked to let on. They continued to chat until the bus slowed down to halt, and Peridot looked out the window to see what exactly the city looked like. And golly, it was pretty. No wonder Yellow chose to live here over Beach City. 

 

Yellow rolled up her sleeve, glancing at her watch that she just remembered she had. “Alright. We’ve still got some time before we’re due at the courthouse.” She said. It was only around 7:35, so they weren't totally in a rush. Peridot just wanted to stare up at the buildings towering over her. 

“What do you even do in a place so big…?” The little green gem asked. “Pfft. More like what  _ can't _ you do. C’mon, wanna go drink weird expensive tea with orbs in it?” Yellow proposed. 

 

“...Yes.” Peridot nodded, and her Zircon pal lead her to the café, where they also apparently had something called a ‘cannoli’.

  
  


While Peridot and Yellow were enjoying their free time, Blue Zircon, Holly and Lapis were busy checking in at the courthouse. None of them knew what they were doing, so they just asked around until they got permission to do their business in one of the courtrooms. There was also more than one, somehow. 

But, it was pretty fancy looking. Holly Blue was occupying herself with checking out where she got to put her butt on the judge's stand. She couldn't help but notice the gavel, and she also couldn't help but give it a couple whacks on the tiny wooden surface it was resting on.

 

The sound made Blue flinch, then trip on the very inconvenient little staircase that was in the middle of the room, for some reason. God damn these court people and their stairs.

She shot Holly a glare, but didn’t make anything else of it. Pretty much everything they needed was in place, and the only thing missing was Peridot and Yellow Zircon. Apparently, humans could just walk in and spectate the whole thing go down. Which was… kind of strange to just about everyone but, hey, it wasn’t like little ol’ Peridot was a threat to the public. A threat to Lapis’s comfort, probably, but she wasn’t gonna start stalking anyone else. At least, that’s what everyone hoped.

  
  


Pretty soon, the courtroom started to get a little more popular. Suddenly aware of all the eyes on her, Blue inhaled sharply.  _ Well, this is a thing that's happening now, isn't it? _ She thought. She looked to Holly for help, and Holly just shrugged and addressed the crowd from her seat. Being this high above a bunch of humans made her feel… important. “It’ll be awhile before we start. Just occupy yourselves for now.”    
  
  
  


About 15 minutes had past before Peridot and Yellow Zircon showed up, and even then Peridot was still slurping some sugar filled travesty of a ‘coffee’. 

“Sorry we're late. Someone decided she needed to eat roughly 10 cannolis.” Yellow said, shooting Peridot a glare. The green gem didn't notice, as she was making herself at home in the defendants seat. Yellow sat beside her, still giving her a bit of the stank eye.

 

Holly Blue shrugged. “If that’s all, I’d like to get started.” 

Lapis and Blue Zircon were on the opposite side of the room, with the latter of the two looking nervous. “Uh, yes. So, I’m sure most of us know why we’re here. As of late, our acquaintance Peridot began following Lapis Lazuli around, kind of to the point of stalking.” Blue explained, both to Holly and the crowd. 

“I like her and all, but this was really weird, even for her.” Lapis added.

 

Yellow Zircon and Peridot exchanged a quick glance, then Blue continued. “Lapis asked me personally to tell Peridot to leave her alone, which I did, and we figured that was that.”

“And what did you do after you were told to stop?” Holly asked, looking at Peridot. 

 

“I stopped, obviously. I did try to explain myself and eventually apologize, but I guess Lapis already wanted to sue me by that point.” Peridot shrugged. 

“And now she's trying to… arrest you.” Holly said, half talking to herself. 

 

Peridot looked to Yellow again, silently begging for help. Even if Peridot didn't let it on, she was rather nervous. Yellow simply nodded and stood up.

“Your Honor, if I may, Peridot was only acting out of affection. I doubt she educated herself on the subject, I mean, all she did was read one book about people watching.” The Zircon said. “I can understand that her actions could be seen as… unfavorable. But even though she's been here longer than you or me, we’re all still new to Earth. We have a lot to learn about how to live here.”

 

Holly took a moment to digest all that, then spoke. “You make a good point. Lapis, did you ever truly feel like your safety was in danger? Did Peridot try to hurt you?” 

“She didn't try to hurt me, but she definitely made me uncomfortable.” 

“If that's the case… I suppose all we can do for now is keep a close eye on her.” Holly said. 

 

“You wanna help me out here?” Lapis asked, turning to her not-so-helpful lawyer. 

Blue Zircon nodded, standing up as well. “Your Honor, I’d like to call in a witness!” 

Holly raised a brow, then shrugged. “Sure.”

 

“Aquamarine, could you come out here?” Blue said. Moments after she spoke, Aquamarine rose above the crowd, flapping her wings dramatically. The small gem planted herself beside Blue Zircon, instantly regretting it, because now she had to stare up at her. “Uh, Aquamarine, could you tell the judge what happened during our math club meeting this week?” She asked gently.

 

“Gladly.” Aquamarine replied. “You see, Zircon, Lapis and I were enjoying math, breadsticks and family values when this… hooligan, so rudely intruded. So what if the pizza shop is a public place, she not only yelled about some brunch, but on top of that she insulted me for needing a high chair!” She explained. 

Blue felt like she had somewhat of a eureka moment. “Well, there's your disturbance of the peace, on top of the harassment.” 

 

“Was anyone other than you bothered by this?” Holly Blue inquired, leaning forward in her seat. 

“They might have been, but try sensing any emotion from this one while she’s breadstickin’ away.” Aquamarine said, pointing at Blue Zircon. Blue had to make a conscious effort to not snicker.

 

“I was having an emotional moment, okay? I think I speak for everyone when I say anyone would be upset over their brunch date flying through the ceiling because of math.” Peridot argued. “Or are you going to condemn me for having feelings too? It’s not exactly fair to arrest someone for that.”

At this point, Yellow Zircon was sighing heavily and scooting Peridot to the side. “Slow down there, Peri Mason. Don’t forget you have a lawyer.” She advised the green gem, who sat back down in her chair with a huff. “Anyways, what I think Peridot is trying to say is… you can’t really put her in the slammer for making Lapis uncomfortable and yelling at people. Rude, yes. Illegal? I certainly don't think so.” Yellow said calmly.

 

That statement caused Lapis to shoot a bitter look towards Peridot, making the little gem flinch and avert her gaze. 

“That… doesn’t sound right, but I don't know enough about law to dispute it.” Blue Zircon admitted with a shrug. Lapis genuinely wanted to punch her.

 

In fact, Lapis just now noticed the crowd of humans behind her, and the alarming amount that was looking at her. She quickly averted her eyes and waited for the judge to speak. 

“Well, er…” Holly shrugged. “Peridot, how do you plead?”

“Not guilty. But I’m not sure what this trial is for anymore…?”

 

Holly Blue quickly looked to a piece of paper, then stared into nothingness. “Good, good. I’m not arresting anybody. Also, I have absolutely no authority here. There’s not even security guards at the doors! I don’t know about you, but I’m going home to make a pretzel sandwich.” The Agate said, gathering her things and leaving. Her things apparently included the gavel. She straight up ‘napped it.

The crowd of humans was already clearing out, and so was the group of gems. It was getting kind of late, and nobody wanted to miss the bus back to Beach City.

 

Peridot made her way down the courthouse steps with her lawyer, who was being strangely distant. Maybe she just really wanted to catch the bus? Whatever it was, she wouldn’t pry. Besides, as she got closer the bus stop, she noticed something that caught her eye.

 

Lapis leaned against the bus stop sign, crossing her arms. She didn’t think she ever really wanted Peridot in jail. She didn’t even know why she ever went through with all of this. After whatever the hell that trial was supposed to be, she just wanted to go home. 

Peridot warily approached the bus stop, eyeing Lapis with concern. The ocean gem didn’t seem to take any note of Peridot’s presence, so she scooted a bit closer, sitting on the bench by the sign. Clearing her throat, she looked at Lapis again. “So, um… got any plans when you get home?” She asked gently. When she didn’t respond, Peridot got a bit more worried. “...Lazuli?”

 

“What.” It was hardly a question. The fact that it sounded more like a snarl than a word made the little green gem shiver. “Are you going to be okay?” She said shakily. 

Lapis sighed. “I don’t know how to talk to you either.” 

“What?” Peridot looked lost, but then she remembered what she was referring to. Her slip up at the temple. “Oh…” 

 

“Whatever you think you see in me isn’t true. You don’t know anything about me.” Lapis explained coldly. For some reason, Peridot expected something… less intense from her. Maybe just about everything was intense with Lapis. “But I want to know about you. I only did all this because… I wanted to get to know you better, and I’m such an idiot and... “ she sighed “it’s all so embarrassing…”

Lapis looked at Peridot, seeming a bit surprised. “I don't think you're an idiot, Peridot. I just think… you shouldn't be around me.”

That certainly intrigued her. “Why?”

 

“You know how it was when I came to earth. I hurt almost everyone I met. I may be different now, but I’m still… sensitive.” She explained. “I really have a problem with lashing out at people, and I’ve already done it to you. I just don’t want to be the reason you’re hurt.” Lapis finished, averting her gaze.

Peridot snorted. “Lazuli, please. You say that like I don’t spend hours thinking about how you’ll never want to be in the same room as me and crying over it.” Perhaps that was too honest. Whatever, it’s sharing time. “Um…” Lapis honestly couldn’t formulate a response to that. But she tried anyways. “I didn’t know.” She muttered.

 

“It’s fine. I guess that’s just the way it is.” Peridot said. Lapis silently called bullshit. But she did wonder if that’s genuinely how Peridot thought of her.

“I’m… um. Sorry.” The blue gem finally croaked out.

Peridot turned toward her, surprise in her eyes. “For what? If anything I should be apologizing! It’s my fault we’re even here.” 

 

Lapis shook her head. “You don't need to apologize for… crying over me.” Peridot’s gaze turned to confusion. “But I… stalked you. And yelled at you, and… kissed you.” 

“Lemme just say only two of those things were bad.” Lapis said with a sly smile. Peridot completely deadpanned. “Wha- what…?”

 

Lapis wasn't given a chance before the pair of Zircons finally caught up, holding each others hand. Aw.

 

“I hope you don't mind, Lapis, but I’m gonna stay in the city with Yellow for a while.” Blue Zircon explained. “Believe me, I tried to talk her out of it.” Yellow added.

Blue squinted at her. “You explicitly said you wanted me to--” 

“You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” Yellow interrupted. Lapis chuckled. “Have fun.” 

 

“Good luck with the kid.” Yellow said, gesturing to Peridot, who was still trying to make sure she heard Lapis correctly earlier. “She’s tough. She’ll hang in there.” Blue commented.

As the Zircons said their goodbyes, and the bus pulled up, Lapis almost had to drag Peridot on board.

 

Once they were seated, it was another long, quiet trip home. Lapis was leaning against the window, snoring gently, and Peridot was wrapped up in her own thoughts.

Maybe she still had a shot. Lapis did say she liked the kiss. As ashamed as she was about the stalking thing, Peridot was determined to continue with her plan in a totally non-creepy or obsessive way. A newer, more sensible plan that didn't make Lapis hate her.

 

She was already running through drafts in her head and calculating her chances of success. She took a deep breath, just so she didn't get ahead of herself. For now, maybe she should just enjoy sitting next to Lapis. Peridot snuggled up to the ocean gem, carefully wrapping her arms around her and resting her head on her shoulder.

Thankfully, Lapis didn't wake up. Peridot just happily clung to her as she slept. It’d be a while until they got home anyway, and she just wanted to relish the moment. 

Lapis shuffled a bit in her sleep, unconsciously using one of her arms to pull Peridot closer. Peridot grinned, nuzzling the sleepy Lapis. It was kind of awkward on the bus seat, but maybe if she was lucky, she wouldn't be going back to the barn tonight. Just the thought of spending the night with Lapis made her want to giggle.

 

Peridot dismissed her extremely gay imagination and continued her snuggling, but tried to stay awake so she didn't miss the stop. 

 

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. Once they arrived at Beach City, Peridot woke Lapis and guided the sleepy gem off the bus. Then, it was only a short walk back to Steven's house, where Peridot guessed Lapis would be staying the night. 

She paused, squinting at a note taped to the door. Apparently Steven was spending the night with his dad. Peridot wondered if Steven was actively avoiding the house for some reason. Maybe he just didn't like the tension that's hung around lately. Then again, Steven isn't one to avoid problems. _Whatever_ , she thought. Today was draining, and Steven would fix his own dang issues.

 

Right now, it was time to catch a train to sleepytime junction, ideally with Lapis.

 

She opened the door, and Lapis immediately went for the couch. She seemed pretty worn out too. Peridot kind of lurked around the coffee table until Lapis begrudgingly invited her on the couch with her. There wasn't much room to sit, let alone lay down, so Peridot just layed on top of Lapis, trying not to be too obstructive.

Lapis didn't seem to be uncomfortable, but the way she absentmindedly stroked Peridot's back made the technician feel… many odd things. The gentle rubbing only stopped when Lapis started snoring again, and Peridot was content with watching her rest. Peridot was honestly not in the mood for sleep, but if Lapis woke up to being stared at she might not react well. So, Peridot made herself as comfortable as she could while all splayed out on top of Lapis, closed her eyes and let herself drift off to the sound of the blue gem’s breathing.

 

It felt like only a few minutes had passed, but Peridot slowly opened her eyes when she felt something. Oh. Lapis was petting her again. Peridot quickly shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep if only to keep her from stopping. 

Honestly, she never could tell if Lapis ever did stop. The rhythmic strokes on her head and back seemed to drag on for eternity, and also because she eventually fell asleep for real. Peridot had a dream, which was new for her. Something about a small waterfall, a forest lit with moonlight and a person, waiting for her in a clearing. 

 

Peridot awoke suddenly, noticing immediately that… somehow Lapis had wiggled out from under her in the night. The green gem blushed, remembering the feeling of Lapis’s hands on her last night. Oh god, that sounded wrong. Sentence revoked, speak of this to no one.

The second thing she noticed was she never shapeshifted out of her sick nasty tuxedo. Peridot had slept in it. She frowned at her wrinkled attire, and with a flash of light, was back to normal. Hell yeah, form-fitting magic. 

Thirdly, she noticed a small note laying on the couch near her. Huh. She scooted closer, inspecting the paper. 

  
  


_ ‘Go to the woods. I don’t care when, just be there sometime tomorrow. _

_ No weird outfits either. No tricks, no stalking. I want to talk to you. _

 

_ -Lapis.’ _

  
  


Well, that’s pretty straightforward. But why the woods? Did Lapis just like trees? 

Regardless, it probably has something to do with all the talking they didn’t do last night. Some very weird feelings had been floating around these past few hours. But maybe meeting with Lapis would help clear things up. Maybe even stick some sort of label or descriptor on their relationship. Peridot folded up the note and stored it somewhere, but not before she admired Lazuli’s handwriting. _ Is that weird? I think that might be weird.  _ Peridot gave her inner thoughts a stern ‘whatever’ and got to getting out of Steven’s house. Being too tired and overstimulated to walk the whole way, she decided to actually use the warp pad.

 

She hopped up on the platform, letting the beam engulf her. Ah, barn sweet barn. She took a deep breath, then stepped into barn. Peridot had really been getting too careless lately. Any worse and the barn’s gonna start looking like Amethyst’s room. A terrifying thought. 

 

Seriously though, these paper piles were getting crazy. She kicked a few out of the way. That’ll do for now. 

She put Lapis’s note on an end table by the couch, where she knew she wouldn’t lose it. 

After that, Peridot took a moment to look outside. She knew where the forest was. She could even see the distant trees from here. Whatever would happen today, she promised herself she’d be okay with it.

 

_ For Lapis _ , she told herself.

Most things she did these days were for Lapis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> peri done caught the big gay.  
> also go follow my tumblr i post useful information if you wanna see how the latest n greatest is coming along.  
> (yasbid.tumblr.com)


	6. Basket Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot and Lapis have a talk, and Peridot finds an old friend in the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hiii.  
> apologizing in advance because this chapter is kinda boring? i had fun writing it though.  
> the end is near... or something.
> 
> also the title for this chapter is from green day, because that song reminds me of my own fic, for some reason. of peridot in particular lol.  
> anyways enjoy or somethin, cause the next one might take a while to come out.

“Log date… what day is it even… Friday? Yes. Around 8 o’clock.”

 

Peridot sat on the couch, tape recorder in hand. “Yesterday I went to the living hell called ‘court’. Obviously I wasn’t arrested, probably because nobody knew what they were doing.” She snorted. “If all human rituals are this unorganized I think I’d rather stay out here with my… corn.”

“...In any case, Lapis has invited me to the forest. I have no idea why. We shared… a special moment last night. I won’t spill all the juicy details until I know how she feels but, golly, is she good at cuddling or what?”

She leaned back in her seat, grinning as she remembered laying with Lapis.

 

“I’m on no tight schedule today so I guess I’m cleaning up. Sweeping yesterday kind of did nothing for all this freakin’ paper laying around.” Peridot glared at one of the crinkly mounds. “I’m gonna go get a bag. Peridot out.” She stopped recording, hopped off the couch and stretched before fetching a plastic trash bag and scooping all of her failed plans scribbled with random ideas into it.

 

Begone, you shitty brain concoctions. 

 

Once the trash was gone, Peridot scanned around the barn to make sure nothing was left behind. Spotless, and looking good.

 

She glanced at the clock, then decided she had time for some more Camp Pining Hearts. Such a masterfully written show. Well, the earlier seasons at least. Peridot thought it'd be fun to go back to the roots, season one, episode one. Oh, yes.

 

She dragged out her old CRT TV from one of the corners, and after around 15 minutes of extension cords, looking for a very specific socket and otherwise diddling with it, it was ready to go.

Peridot then decided to stop unplugging it whenever it wasn't in use. That was always a dumb idea.  She popped in the tape and got cozy on the couch.

  
  
  


It was now approaching the afternoon. Peridot had spent god knows how many hours with the TV, and figured it was time to maybe go outside.

 

Not to see Lapis, though. She wasn't really ready for that yet. 

Instead, she headed down to the beach to see if any cool doodads washed up.

 

She scanned the shore, using her hands to dig around areas that looked like something interesting was underneath. Ah, the joys of scraping away sand like a goddamn animal, being repeatedly slapped in the face by waves and gagging on saltwater.

 

How did those Crystal Gems survive when nature is this brutal? 

 

Peridot hacked up the last of the seawater inside of her and threw the last of her findings in a pile she had secured inside of a very futuristic sandcastle.

 

She’s no architect, but she tried to replicate some of the structures back on Homeworld with the sand. So far she had found mussel shells, interestingly shaped kelp and some sea glass. One of the smooth little shards interested her so much, she couldn't just leave it to be swept away.

It was a vibrant blue piece of sea glass, shaped like a teardrop. A little jagged near the top, but the shape was unmistakable. 

 

Abandoning her sandcastle and shoving all her beach treasure in a satchel, she hurried back to the barn. 

Once there, she put the little blue teardrop in a box, and then hid the box under the couch. That should keep it safe enough. But what an odd thing to find! Especially considering the situation she’d been in all week. 

 

Anyways, it was nearly the evening. Peridot swallowed hard. She should probably get going, shouldn't she? Something stopped her.

“Uuugh… I can't, I can't!” She whined, slumping to the floor of the barn. She had to pause to remove her visor and wipe away the few tears that had formed. “I don't know what she’ll say…”

It really did feel like it was a lost cause. Lapis would just tell her to fuck off and that'd be the end of it. The thought made her whine even more. She shut her eyes and hugged her knees to her torso.

 

It was going to be… A really long day.

  
  


 

Only around after sunset did Peridot start to feel better. She occupied herself with more chores, mindless organizing and a little bit of decorating. It’s like she was hired to be a pearl for a day or something.

 

She stepped outside, peeking at the sky. The stars were out, and the full moon was beginning to rise. What a peaceful view. Then, she turned her eyes to the distant woods. A deep breath. “I’ve got nothing to lose.” She assured herself.

  
  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


Lapis was lazing about in her favorite oak tree. To be honest, she was very, very stressed. She had thought of what she was going to say to Peridot, and how she could possibly explain these feelings she's been having.

Of course, “feelings” usually attributes to romantic feelings but, god damn, she wasn't sure about that yet. She’s said it once, and she’ll say it again: Lapis Lazuli has never felt real attraction to anyone, gem or human. Until this week she’d ruled it out as an impossibility.

 

It wasn't a problem. She just figured that level of emotions was out of reach. Besides, she was more afraid for Peridot. She’d broken her fragile heart too many times lately. But this relationship was bound to end like all the others, even the platonic ones. 

 

Lapis had caught onto the pattern. She’d get carried away, get too close, and then hurt the other person(s), intentionally or not. That’s why I distanced myself from Peridot, she reminded herself. But Peridot was too persistent, and not even the law could tell her to fuck off. Granted little to no investigation or interrogation was done before the trial. But whatever. Law is stupid!

 

And besides, she knew what she had to do. Peridot didn't know about her little weird accidentally hurting people cycle, so telling her to drop her attraction to Lapis before she gets too up close and personal seemed to be the right thing.

Of course there was no one around to be the voice of reason for her, since her best friend was screwing her associate in Empire City, the Crystal Gems were off doing god knows what, and whatever happened to Aquamarine? Or Holly Blue? Mass gem abduction. The Diamonds were stealing their rebel children and probably cannibalizing them. That's what they do, right? Whatever.

  
  


Lapis descended from her branch, stretching before she took off anywhere. Honestly, she didn't even know where she was going. She really had to figure out what to say to Peridot in a totally non-bitchy way. Easy peasy, pizza cheesy.

She made herself comfy with her back against the oak’s trunk and started brainstorming.

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  


Peridot wandered through the forest, wondering where Lapis could actually be. She sort of generalized with ‘forest’, and this place was pretty big. Her thoughts were interrupted when her foot caught under a root, sending her tumbling ass first into… Oh. Oh, this looks familiar.

A small clearing with a tall stone on the northern side, with a small trickling stream of water dripping into a pool near the foot of the rock. The water was so clear, she could see the stars reflected in it. And Lapis in it. ...Wait.

 

Peridot jumped backwards, glancing upwards. Lapis stood dramatically on top of the huge rock. Oh god. She was doing that freaky mirror eyeball thing. It didn't help that the moon was making her eyes even more shiny and glowy. “H-hi Lazuli.” Peridot stammered, attempting to hold that eerie gaze.

 

“Peridot… Can I tell you something?” Lapis said, shifting on the stone. 

“That’s what I’m here for.” She replied.

 

Fair enough. Slowly, the water in the pool shifted. It formed into the shape of a flower. A morning glory, to be exact, with the stars shining in its petals. Peridot resisted the urge to clutch her chest.

 

“Look, I know how you feel about me, and I’m scared I might… feel the same way.” Lapis said quickly, struggling to look at Peridot.

 

“...Why is that a bad thing?” The green gem asked.

 

“I’m not good at that! All that relationship stuff… I’d just do more harm than good. I don't want to see you cry again.” She explained, releasing the water in the pool from her control. 

“I mean, you’ve already tried to sue me.” Peridot shrugged. “Admittedly, though, maybe I was too ambitious. You make me… very excited. N-not like that, but, well… You know?”  _ Okay, okay, word vomit. I can recover from this. _

“What I meant is… you inspire me.” Peridot said sincerely. Much better.

 

Lapis looked down. “I know.”

She sighed. “God, I know you're giving me that look. I don't have to look at you to know.” 

 

Peridot inhaled deeply. Well, she wasn't going to let Lapis be all… whatever she was being by herself. She approached the side of the stone, using the rough ledges to haul herself up the darn thing. Once she reached the top, she sat next to Lapis, but not too close.

“I’m serious, Lapis. I’ve felt… different since I truly met you.” Peridot stated. Lapis shuddered, making some sort of noise. Like a weird heaving and gasping. Oh.

“Lapis…?” 

 

The blue gem scooted closer, wrapping her arms around a very concerned Peridot. Lapis’s face was soaked with tears. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” She mumbled into Peridot’s chest. She was sort of talking to herself, it seemed. 

Peridot just held her, gently rubbing her back like Lapis had done for her last night. “Are you okay?” She finally asked. “I don't know.” Lapis muttered. 

 

Well, okay then. Maybe it was best just to let her cry it out instead of wringing answers out of her. But, Peridot got an idea. Those four words have done a lot of damage so far, but this time was different.

 

She just sort of held Lapis’s face in her hands, and kissed her forehead. 

 

That just resulted in more crying. But Lapis was still leaning on her and clinging to her like she would explode if she let go, or something.

 

“I want to be okay. I don't want to be scared of… liking you.” Lapis finally said. “But at the same time I just want to tell you to go away. And I don't know what to do.” Her last few words were barely above a whisper, and then she started sobbing again.

 

“You don't have to worry about that now. I always just wait another day and try again.” Peridot told her, running her hands through Lapis's hair. Gosh, it was so pretty. It’d probably be overstepping some boundary if she kissed her again, but she would be willing to risk it. The keywords being ‘would be’. The telling her to go away thing might still be on the table.

  
  


This was probably the weirdest day of the whole week, honestly. Lapis didn’t need to know that, though. She already seems to be struggling. 

“I  _ do  _ have to worry. I was so fucking mean to you!” Lapis snapped. “And… I’m not really sure I regret it.”

 

Oh. Well. That’s… useful information? Peridot really didn’t know how to respond to that.

 

“I think I should go.” She said suddenly. 

“Woah, woah. Wait a moment. I don’t… hate you for that. I was an ass too. I was creepy.”

 

“It wasn’t  _ you. _ ” Lapis groaned. “I mean, it was, I hated what you did. But everything's changing. When I look at you, I…” She didn't finish her sentence, but she clutched her chest like something was really hurting her.

 

Now, Peridot’s no expert, especially not regarding… normal interactions with other beings. But she didn't want to be causing whatever Lapis was so upset about. “I never wanted to hurt you. I really messed up, Lazuli.” Oh boy. Here come the tears.

 

Lapis looked up to her, practically sitting in her lap now, but still half curled up. “You didn't- I just- you… Peri, don't get dramatic with me.” 

 

The cutesy nickname sailed right over her head as Peridot hugged Lapis, burying her face in her chest. Now everyone was crying. Just having a big ol’ cry party. Maybe actually trying to repair whatever’s left of this confusing ass relationship would be better than this? Sounds good.

 

Once Peridot managed to stop crying, she tried to say something that would help the situation, or something. 

 

“Do you… hate me?” She asked nervously. Good going, Peridot! That did not help at all. Lapis just gave her another sad look. But Peridot didn’t miss the brief annoyance on her face. Whoops. 

“I don’t know.” Lazuli replied. “I just… hate the way I feel about you?” 

 

Well, that brought Peridot to a question she wanted to ask all week. “How  _ do  _ you feel about me…?”

 

That provoked a suspicious amount of silence. Lapis squirmed uncomfortably in Peridot’s arms. “I’m… um…” Think, Lapis, think! “You know… You’re okay.”

At least it’s better than ‘so creepy I can and will sue you’. Baby steps.

 

“But I still can’t help but be upset. I haven’t exactly had the best experiences with people following me around…” Lapis said, looking away. 

 

Peridot shrugged. She didn’t have many fond memories of being tracked down by others either. “It’s alright. I mean, you don’t have to like me. Or even tolerate my existence.” She didn’t mean to sound so dejected, it just came out that way.

 

“What did I say about the drama? Seriously.” Lapis reminded her. “I just… well, I want to be friends, but I don’t, and I like you! But I don’t…?” 

 

At this point, Peridot’s head was spinning. “So… is that a yes or a no…?” She asked.

“Um. To what?” Lapis replied, finally glancing back up to her.

 

“Whether we’re friends or not… or whether you even like me.” 

 

Lapis blinked. She wasn’t sure she even had an answer to that yet. She would’ve started crying again, but she felt entirely devoid of… anything.

Peridot scowled. Of course Lapis didn't have to give her an answer right now, but some indication of anything at all would be nice.

 

Lapis Lazuli clasped her hands together, scooting away from Peridot. “How about… we postpone this until tomorrow, because I genuinely have no fucking idea how to say that I’m very mad at you and want to do unspeakable things to you at the same time in a nice, non-violent manner?” 

_ Ooookay…  _  Peridot squinted. “Unspeakable things, eh?”  _ So like, does that entail physical harm or something more… You know. Inappro-pro. _ Peridot mentally facepalmed. “Um, I mean, I don’t mind rescheduling our… whatever this is.”

 

Maybe it would help to sleep off this weird new information and give it a second shot in the morning. Yeah, okay. 

 

“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” Lapis asked tentatively. Peridot gave her a quick nod. 

“Don’t be late.” Peridot replied, as if she hadn’t had enough time sensitive escapades lately. It was probably okay, since there didn’t seem to be any negativity hanging around. Save for the fact that Lapis had a weird look in her eye that she couldn’t read. But that was okay. Lapis is weird, that’s her whole schtick. She gave a more threatening than usual smile before spreading her wings and taking off.

 

God, she looked like she was glowing in the moonlight. Like a water...moon...fairy thing. Peridot threw up her arms and hopped off the tall rock. She wasn’t a poet anyways. 

  
  


She took one last glance at the pool of water, watching it ripple slightly as the wind blew over it. For some reason, the way the water seemed so clear made her kind of sad. Like a sort of lonely feeling. She huffed and turned to whatever direction she came in from. 

Getting home didn’t really matter. She vaguely wanted to go blather about her weird ass day to her tape recorder, but it wasn’t like she was sprinting to the barn or anything.

 

Honestly, she kind of felt like curling up in the grass beneath this little fern right here and taking a nap. Oh yeah, fern nap city, here we come.

Peridot circled around a few times on all fours before she settled down, trying to ignore that pesky frond that kept blowing into her face. She took off her visor for extra comfortableness, and slowly shut her eyes.

  
  


She surprisingly didn’t think about Lapis at all. She didn’t even dream about her, or about anything. That was probably for the better. All this ‘I hate you, but I love you’ crap with Lapis was starting to get confusing anyway. 

Disregarding all the drama, she slept peacefully, listening to the wind howl through the trees. And that really weird stomping noise. Wait, stomping? Peridot shot up, looking around frantically. It sounded like someone was trying to chop down a tree with a steel-toed boot. When she spotted a distant shadow behind a tree, she just curled up fetal style, pretended to be dead and hoped for the best.

  
  


When the thumping… thing… approached her, she twitched. It poked her with a big hand, but she laid still as a rock. 

 

“...Peridot?” It said, after a moment’s hesitation.

 

Okay, what the fuck?

Peridot opened her eyes and turned to face…

“Jasper!?” She shrieked. “Why are… how did… You? Woods-dwelling lumberjack?” Peridot tilted her head.

 

And Jasper just stood and stared. “If I wore flannel, lumberjacking is the last thing on my mind.” She said. “And I don’t live here.” 

 

Oh, okay. Peridot sat up, putting her visor back on. “Then why are you out here?”

 

“I was enjoying the full moon, until I saw that Lapis took off.” She explained. 

“Yeah! Lapis is gonna talk to me tomorrow! Sometime… eventually.” Peridot mentioned, looking a little skeptical herself. Even Jasper didn’t really believe it.

 

“No, I mean, she _ took off _ . She left.” Jasper said, crossing her arms. Peridot didn’t even hear her at first, because apparently Lapis isn’t the only one who looks awesome in moonlight. 

 

“...Wha?” Peridot asked, blinking.

 

“She left.” Jasper repeated. Oh. Haha. Oh no. This is so very, very bad.

Peridot slumped backward into the fern, making some sort of groan-scream noise. Jasper sat down beside her, probably attempting comfort. “She. Is. Such. An. Impossible. Fucking. Girl!” Peridot growled, with all the fury in her tiny body.

 

“Don’t I know it. Look, don’t tell her I said this, but she just… does this sometimes. Gets all moody and just fucks off for a while. She will fuck off. Off she will fuck.” Jasper said.

Huh. Jasper was making less sense than usual. Or maybe Peridot was still in her weird half asleep brain slurry. She just clung to Jasper, for now. “Will she come back…?” She asked quietly. Jasper nodded. “Give her some time. But seriously, tell her I gave you friendly advice, and I will eat all of your corn.” That was not an empty threat by any means. Peridot gave her a quick thumbs up.

 

“I guess… I’ll wait for her?” She thought out loud. 

“Yup. I give her 13 hours, tops.” Jasper said. 

 

Well, okay. If Lapis wanted some alone time, that was fine. Jasper was probably the only gem around who had any insight to Lapis’s freaky mannerisms, so finding her out here really was a lucky catch. Also, she was big and cuddly, and Peridot was sleepy. Jasper wasn’t entirely planning on a nap, but Peridot needed moral support from someone who was large and affectionate. Plus, holding tiny people is nice.

 

So, they just sort of slept together. Everything was absolutely, 100% fine, and Lapis would be back tomorrow anyways. Everything is okay.

 

Seriously. It’s okay.

For serious. For reals. Fo’ sho’.

 

Peridot found herself unable to rest. Everything was not okay. Not for serious, for reals  _ or  _ fo’ sho’. 

She forced her eyes shut, trying to focus on Jasper’s body heat instead of how everything was fucking terrible. Terrible for rizzle, my nizzle. It’s fucking awful, off the hizzle.

 

Peridot briefly considered a rap career before she found herself drifting to sleep again, getting tangled in some weird dream about Jasper’s big arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> youre probably wondering whats with the weird rap shit.  
> and im gonna say: i have no idea. youd have to borrow my brain and also stay up till 2am to get the full effect.
> 
> shh its okay i hate this chapter too. i prefer the (unfortunately lost) alternate version where lapis uses the puddle water to give peri a wet bitch slap into a tree. like she full on smacks her.
> 
> anyways im outta here. oh and happy pride month. go have like..an apple juice party. okay, im tired. peace out home dawg.


	7. The Things We Do For Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot fixes it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, this is the end. or is it?  
> yeah no, theres gonna be an epilogue later, either one big thing or a 2-parter.
> 
> anyways, enjoy, cuz im gonna ramble in the other notes too.

When morning finally rolled around, Peridot refused to get up. She just wanted to be trapped in an eternal depression nap and forget all her problems. At least, that’s what her sleepy brain wanted.

 

Though, Jasper was having none of it, and she demanded to get out of the forest as soon as possible. Seriously, it was a terrible place to sleep. She was thoroughly convinced Peridot was just the queen of bad decisions.

Jasper ended up having to carry her all the way to the barn while she peacefully dozed off. It’d probably be rude to just leave her on the floor, so she set her up up on the couch wrapped in a little blanket burrito. And… it’d probably be weird to watch her sleep.

She decided to leave, but she wouldn’t completely abandon Peridot and her weird endeavors. Maybe she’d run into Lapis and coax her into actually talking about her feelings for once.

 

God knows she needed it.

  
  
  


\--

  
  
  
  


As for Lapis, the time away from town was sort of helping, but not entirely in the way she hoped. The whole time she wished she could just throw away her emotions and never have to deal with them again.

Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but think she was being cruel. She really did want to be with Peridot. Maybe not romantically, but she wanted to be on good terms. Lapis huffed. The old ‘lets just be friends’ routine never worked out for her.

 

She leaned backwards against the tree she was sitting under. All she had to do was figure out what exactly to say to Peridot. How to talk to her without making it either a pity party or some weird romantic advance.

 

Lapis’s thoughts were interrupted when she sensed a familiar presence. Of course, why not.

“I know you’re there.” She said quietly.

 

Jasper knew there was no point in hiding, and slowly approached her.

Lapis took a deep breath and prepared herself for the inevitably awful conversation she was about to have. “What do you want?” she asked.

“Believe it or not, I want to try and reason with you.” Jasper replied, sitting on the ground next to her.

 

“Look, it’s okay if you want to have ‘meetings’ again. Just ask.” Lapis said flatly.

Jasper blushed. “...No. I meant about Peridot. Why do you keep avoiding her?”

 

“I don't know. It’s just… what I do when I’m in denial. Whatever.” Lapis grumbled. “I did the same thing to you.”

 

“And I’m not Peridot. She can't deal with this like I did. I’m probably wasting my time telling you this, but you gotta fix your shit.” she told her sternly.

Lapis looked away.

 

“You love her, don’t you?”

Lapis nodded. There was no way she could say it, but confirmation of her feelings made it a little better. Even though admitting it made her entire existence ache.

And even if she couldn’t say it, Jasper was still proud of her for actually accepting the way she felt. “So… you gonna do anything about it?” she asked. That made Lapis grimace.

 

“Um… I…” she began “I’ll try.”

 

Jasper put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t rush in if it’s too much. But if you really want to, it’s better than nothing.”

Lapis took a deep breath. “Thank you.” she said quietly, leaning on Jasper and closing her eyes.

 

The quartz couldn't help but crack a smile. She never thought she’d have to sit down and give Lapis the pep talk. Usually it was the other way around. Jasper used to get in a lot of trouble, but that's besides the point.

And then she remembered Lapis initially thought she showed up for… adult activity. The little brat flatters herself way too much, Jasper thought, rolling her eyes.

  
  


At least part of the problem was resolved. Jasper briefly wondered how Peridot was holding up, but she’s a tough nut. She probably wasn't letting something silly like complicated romantic feelings get to her.

One thing was for sure, Peridot would be fine.

  
  
  
  


\--

  
  


Peridot was not fine. She woke up with a start, flung herself off the couch and fell face first onto the floor, wrapped in a little blanket burrito of all things. Though, she appreciated the blanket. Jasper was actually really thoughtful.

Deep down, she hoped her quartz friend ran into Lapis and put in a good word for her. But that was impractical.

 

The tiny technician attempted to have a normal day with no thinking about Lapis. She knew she shouldn't be too hopeful. Hey, even if Lapis never wanted to see her again, that’d be totally cool! At least that's what she thought, until she had a 30 minute breakdown over it.

 

It was madness. It was utter goddamn madness. Why was she so paranoid? Why did she care so much? And why did a purely hypothetical situation have her curled up on the floor in tears?

The pure irrationality of it all only served to make her more upset. Peridot pulled the blanket over her head and curled up fetal style on the floor of the barn. Forget not thinking about Lapis. She was the only thing she could think about. And, holy shit, it had only been a week. She was always attracted to the ocean gem, but only now did it seem like she was going to explode if she didn't get to be with her.

 

She knew that wasn't right. She talked it over with Jasper. She has to give Lapis her space and wait until she was ready to talk. Prioritize, Peridot.

 

But honestly, rejection was, with no doubt, inevitable.

Peridot was thinking about how Lapis only ever wanted her to go away. How she never wanted to be with her.

It was miserable.

 

Until her mind wandered to more intimate places. She thought about how holding Lapis’s hand would feel, how much she’d love to be the reason Lapis smiled…

Maybe even kissing her.

 

She curled up tighter, hiding her face.

  
  


At some point, she crawled halfway under the couch and pulled out the little box she put that piece of sea glass in. Then and there, she decided she’d give it to Lapis. She had probably given Lapis way too much free shit this past week, but this was an honest gesture. Like a ‘this thing reminded me of you, sorry I’m obnoxious and gay’ sort of thing.

It seemed like the perfect idea.

 

However, she still had to play the waiting game. Lapis was still getting her shit together, and the last thing Peridot wanted to do was pressure her. Which would just make Lapis more wary of her, and further distort her perception of her, and oh god, oh jeez.

Peridot slammed the brakes on her anxiety. Those thoughts could fuck off for the time being. Worrying over things that might not even happen was pointless.

 

Until Lapis was comfortable with seeing her again and wanted to talk it out, she’d have to occupy herself.

Peridot put her sea glass away, not bothering to get up off the floor.

She had been so focused on this Lazuli business, she had hardly taken any time for herself.

 

Seriously, when was the last time she properly hung out with the Crystal Gems?

Maybe they wouldn't understand her situation, but that was fine. She just figured it best to not be left alone with her thoughts.

  
  


So, she hauled buttcheeks to Beach City, scurried across the boardwalk and tripped and fell into the sand multiple times. She stood before the Crystal Gem base and was reminded that the last time any of them saw her, she was awkwardly hiding behind Lapis while everyone else in the room was staring in shock.

 

Ah, the memories. The awful, awful memories.

 

...Hopefully they won’t remember that.

 

Peridot trotted up the stairs and cautiously knocked on the door. The door opened, and she was greeted by Amethyst.

“Hey, Peridot.”

 

“Hi, Amethyst.”

 

Amethyst blinked. “Get in here.” she said, inviting Peridot in. So far so good.

Peridot sat on the floor, while Amethyst made herself comfortable on the cushions by the window. By the looks of it, none of the others were home.

 

“So… where have ya been?” Amethyst asked, looking down at her.

 

Oh boy. Peridot cleared her throat. “Oh, just…. You know, barn stuff, mechanic stuff, the usual. Nothing out of the ordinary.” she said, crossing her arms. Convincing enough, right?

 

Wrong. Amethyst saw right through her.

“You sure nothing’s bothering you? I haven't seen you all week, and when I did you were hanging with the Zircons, and also Holly, so…”

 

“I’m fine, everything's fine. I don't wanna talk about it.” Peridot huffed, looking away.

Amethyst flopped down on the floor beside her, leaning on her shoulder. “It’s totally not fine. Who’s been fuckin’ with you?”

 

“I… um. It’s just… I have a crush. And it made me do bad. And I may or may not have ruined everything with said crush forever. It’s perfectly fine.” Peridot blurted out.

 

“Have you… talked to them yet?”

 

“Well, no. I'm... working on it. She won't even come see me right now.” the green gem explained. She was honestly trying not to worry. She trembled, fiddling with her hands.

  
  


Amethyst squinted thoughtfully. “Well, what are you gonna do when she does?”

 

Peridot looked away. Probably some typical lame schtick, some bad jokes, awkward fumbling, the works. Talking to Lapis was hard and the last thing she wanted to do during a confrontation was completely blow her chance. She needed to think if she was going to do it right.

A deep inhale. “I know I said fuck the script, but I think I can make this work.” Peridot stood up, brushing some sand off herself.

 

Of course, Amethyst had no idea what she was talking about. “...You lost me, dude.”

 

Peridot huffed, briefly cluing Amethyst in to all the dumb shit she did this week. Yes, her first script was a disaster, but she's grown since then! Improvise, adapt, overcome and such. With her friend informed and the living room floor littered with paper, she got straight to work.

What she needed was a foolproof method of talking to Lapis. She had been logging her miserable failures this week, so she just needed to go through the process of elimination. Just… trying to figure what did and didn’t work for her in the amatuer flirting department. It was easy enough, honestly.

 

Once she had written everything down, sectioning her plan into intricate little parts and phases or whatever, she organized them all in a binder about half the size of her body, which she promptly labeled as ‘DO NOT TOUCH’. These were sacred blue alien woman seducing documents, and Peridot'd be damned if anyone fucked with her hard work.

 

Although, the temple was a mess. Which was also not Peridot's problem at all.

Throughout her work sesh, Amethyst tried not to bother her, only cutting in when she had some serious hitting-on-girls related advice. But she had to confirm one last thing before she let Peridot just walk out the door.

“So, you're really not gonna do anything weird like the other times?” she asked, crossing her arms.

 

“...Duh. I'm not going to court again.” Peridot assured her. She was a new gem who didn't stalk people. She was still going to wait for Lapis to come to her, not the other way around.

 

“Good enough for me. Just tell me how it goes, eh?” she said, nudging Peridot with an elbow.

Wow! She forgot that actual, real friends were so great. She should really do something about the rose-colored glasses she seemed to be constantly wearing. But right now she had somewhere to be. She gave Amethyst a well-deserved hug and warped her way back to the barn.

  
  
  


Home sweet home. Now she could go over her plans and make sure everything was in order. She walked in, reading off her documents to herself.

“Phase one, attempt to crawl out of the hole I dug for myself. To say I really fucked it up with Lapis would be an understatement. If I'm really gonna do this, I need her approval, and--hi Jasper--to really insinuate that...I…” Peridot looked up from her pacing-reading combo. Wow. Hi Jasper, indeed.

 

“What is that?” Jasper asked, gesturing vaguely at the binder.

 

“Just… notes. Uh. Didn't expect you to be here.” she replied, clutching the binder to her chest.

 

“You're doing it wrong. You can beat around the bush as much as you want, but it's not gonna work with her.” the quartz said. “If you want a straight answer, you need a straight question.”

 

Peridot froze. “What, you just want me to walk up to her and ask her out?”

She trusted Jasper, she really did, but this was nuts. Bonkers, even.

 

“Are you seriously so far gone that you think asking a question is the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard of?” Jasper barked.

 

“No! I just- I… You don't know how she works.”

The quartz gave her a scowl. It seemed like maybe, just maybe, she knew more about Lapis than she let on.

 

Well, whatever. Whether she did or not had nothing to do with Peridot or her work. It was all in the paper, set in stone, aligned in the stars and not a single disturbance would throw her off. She didn’t write this thick ass guide book with a full analysis of her previous failures and hypothetical scenarios for nothing!

 

“Just don’t do anything stupid. It won’t get you anywhere.”

 

Jasper didn’t allow her a reply before she walked out of the barn. She didn’t sound angry. More like… uncharacteristically wistful. Peridot frowned, but she took a deep breath and got back to reviewing her documents. She went over a few pages on general social interactions. To be completely honest, acting normal was hard. Especially when what you deem as normal is apparently complete and utter nonsense to the person you're romantically pursuing.

  
  


_Jeez, lighten up_ , she told herself.

  
  
  


A good hour and a half seemed to just disappear. Peridot stood up and stretched all her limbs before plopping back down on the floor. She was in the middle of highlighting a section about proper hand holding techniques when a familiar pitter-patter of bare feet made her freeze.

 

She had to be imagining it. No. Not yet. She gripped the marker tightly, bit her lip and forced herself to look toward the barn's doorway.

 

Hm. Nothing.

Her mind must've been playing some sick trick on her. Or maybe she was just paranoid. Whichever it was, it wasn't funny.

 

She tried to ignore it, focusing more on reviewing her work. She skipped ahead a bit once she was sure she understood the basics. If anything, she wouldn't be able to face Lapis again until she was well versed in how to actually be a person.

For a moment, she considered how silly it sounded. How she had to write a guide for herself just to be perceived as normal. But it wasn't just about her, was it? Here she was, once again trying to study love like it was even a thing one could study. Trying to pick it apart and see what makes it tick.

  
  


She dropped the marker.

That was it.

The whole problem was staring her in the face the whole goddamn time and she hadn't noticed until this very second.

 

Suddenly, the reason why none of it had worked was so clear. It wasn't that she was dysfunctional, or that Lapis was weird. It wasn't even that they were both aliens and hardly know the first thing about how love is supposed to work.

It was that love is not something to be calculated.

 

She was kind of surprised she had realized this on her own, rather than be told through some awkward lecture. She sighed. What would she say to Lapis? She'd have to start planning immediately if she-

Wait, no. She literally just went over that with herself. New Peri, no plan.

  
  


This won't screw her over. If she just lets things go naturally, her imminent failure won't be as painful… hopefully.

All she had to do was wait. That was it. She would wait for Lapis, give her the sea glass thingamajig, and the rest would just fall into place. Even if it kills her.

Which it probably will, because she's been alarmingly vulnerable in the emotional department all week, but hey, progress is progress.

  
  


\--

  
  


“She won't listen to me.”

“I'm sure it's fine. Everything is fine.” Lapis sighed. “I don't need your help, Jasper.”

“That's good, considering my help didn't work.” Jasper replied flatly.

“Just… why do you have to be involved with this?”

“Mostly boredom, also, I don't wanna watch Peridot crash and burn. She's too nice to be on your bad side.” Jasper explained, sitting down in the grass beside Lapis to fiddle with a tiny flower.

 

Lapis scoffed. “She's not on my bad side. I like her. I'm just… bad at showing it.”

“Just… promise you'll talk to her, alright?”

“...Fine.”  
  


So, Lapis went to talk to her. She knew Peridot had probably been losing her mind all day, or at the least thinking about Lapis all day. She felt a little bad about neglecting to tell Peridot how she felt in a proper, non-fucked up way.

Lapis did like her. She had always held a very small amount of attraction towards her, but she either wrote it off as purely platonic, or denied any attraction outright.

 

It was no secret that it was hard for her to trust people. But she managed to be friends with the Crystal Gems. And even if she thought it'd suck at first, she was able to get close to Jasper, too.

She snapped herself out of her thoughts, focusing more on where she was flying. She saw the distant red color of the barn and began swooping down. It would be fine. Peridot was a smart, logical gem. She'd understand.

 

Even if nobody else could, Peridot would always understand.

  
  


\--

  
  


Peridot was pacing circles in the barn, the shard of sea glass held firmly in her palm.

She was deep in her own mind, but she knew that thinking about what to say wouldn't work, at least not forcing herself to act on a script. So… she'd think about it a little, but she'd mostly be speaking from the heart.

And wow, her heart was talkative.

 

Only when she heard a faint flapping of wings outside the barn did she stop pacing. That was it. The sound she had been hoping to hear all day. With her new discovery about love and things fresh in her mind, she slowly approached the entrance of the barn.

 

“...Lapis?” she called out, her voice shaking a little more than she liked.

When Lapis Lazuli actually stood before her, her mind instinctively began to go into panic mode. She swallowed hard. The flow was not this hard to go with. She could do this.

 

Lapis smiled. “Hey.”

 

Peridot opened her mouth to speak, but Lapis beat her to the punch.

“I've been thinking. About you.”

 

_ Fabulous! Just let me know how much the inevitable abandonment will hurt, and we'll work from there! _

Peridot halted her thoughts once more. No.

“Really?” was all she could bring herself to say.

 

Lapis took a step closer, placing her hand on Peridot's left shoulder. Instantly, her face flushed, but at least she still knew her right from left. That was a good sign!

“I told you I've been… feeling things. Things I didn't feel okay with.”

 

“I know. It's okay if you don't like me. I was too pushy. I tried to-”

“No.” Lapis interrupted. Her hand slid from Peridot's shoulder, down her arm and to her hand. She gently rubbed the back of Peridot's hand, looking down.

“I know I like you. But I don't know if I could be with you.”

 

That was… reassuring? At the very least, it didn't sound like sudden doom. Peridot shivered at the contact. Lapis was holding her hand. This wasn't one of her daydreams. This was in front of her right now. And most importantly, she didn't have a script in the back of her mind.

 

“Don't worry.” she said, gripping Lapis’ hand a little tighter.

 

Lapis tried not to burst into tears then and there. “It's so weird. It seems like only yesterday I was… well…”

She trailed off, but Peridot knew the rest of that story quite well.

“Throwing paint cans at me and demanding I get out of your barn? Tell me about it.” Peridot chuckled, like the memory of getting pummeled by metal was a fond one.

Lapis tried to hide her embarrassment. “I didn't mean it.”

Peridot smiled “I know.”

  
  


It was a wild time, that day. They were both new to Earth. Or at least, new to seeing the Earth as their home. If it weren't for Steven's intervention, they would've surely torn each other apart. The memory hurt a bit, honestly.

“I, um…” Peridot began. “I have something for you.”

 

Lapis tilted her head.

 

She held out her other hand, revealing her conveniently shaped blue sea glass.

“I kept it because it was blue. And it reminded me of you. And… I think you should have it now.”

“...Thanks.” Lapis said, taking it in her hand, examining it closely.

Apparently Peridot wasn't done explaining, either.

 

“I thought, well, I loved it so much, and I thought you should give it a chance too. Because it reminded me of you, and… um.” she paused for a moment.  _ Keep it together _ , she told herself. “I think you deserve to love yourself, Lapis.”

She didn't know if she got any of that right, but the point was that she was being honest.

 

“Thank you.” Lapis repeated. At that point, all she could do was hug Peridot. She just hugged her like she was about to disappear forever.

 

“I'm sorry for everything.” she said. “I mean, especially that court thing. I don't even know what that was.”

She began to laugh. “We didn't even do any investigation. God, what a mess.”

Peridot hugged her back. All she even remembered from the court thing was that orbular tea she had, and the grossly sweet coffee later on. That was probably why she wasn't a big fan of eating. Drinking was just objectively better.

But she still had a bit of a Lapis Lazuli-shaped problem in front of her, so she should probably focus on that.

 

She rubbed Lapis’ back, not really knowing what to think. Or say, for that matter.

Jesus, what a week.

  
  


“So…” she said quietly. “What do you wanna do?”

“I think it's okay. Just like this.” Lapis muttered, playing with Peridot's hair.

Peridot tensed. This was okay. Shit, this was more than okay.

 

“Me too.”

She couldn't look at Lapis. Tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes, but she wasn't going to let that happen. “I think I'm in love.”

 

Lapis shook with laughter. “I'm not.”

She sobbed, just once. “I swear, I'm not.”

 

“Lapis…” Peridot held her tighter.

 

“Don't say anything.” she whispered.

  
  
  


\--

  
  


They spent the rest of the day together. Hell, the rest of the night, too. Currently, Lapis was fast asleep in Peridot's hammock, and Peridot herself was stargazing through the gigantic hole in the roof of the barn. Yes, it was usually tarped over, but the moonlight was a nice touch on a clear night like this.

She laid on her back, letting her mind wander while the radio beside her played some song.

  
  


_ Ooh, you made me love you _ __  
_ Ooh, you've got a way _ __  
_ Ooh, you had me crawling up the wall. _ __  
__  
_ Like walking in the rain and the snow _ __  
_ When there's nowhere to go _ __  
_ And you're feelin' like a part of you is dying _ __  
_ And you're looking for the answer in her eyes. _ __  
_ You think you're gonna break up _ _  
_ __ Then she says she wants to make up.

  
  


Perhaps things would be okay like this. Sure, there was no explicit ‘they’re dating now’ statement, but Peridot was just glad that they seemed to be on okay terms. Maybe that was as good as it was gonna get. But hey, Lapis apparently had no qualms with sleeping in the barn! That was a start. And Peridot truly did hope they could be friends, or maybe something more. Even though the latter was just wishful thinking.

She cast a glance back at Lapis.

  
  


_ Ooh, you made me love you _ __  
_ Ooh,you've got a way _ __  
_ Ooh, you had me crawling up the wall. _ __  
__  
_ A compromise would surely help the situation _ __  
_ Agree to disagree, but disagree to part _ _  
_ __ When after all, it's just a compromise of the things we do for love

  
  


Ah, Lapis. The whole reason she went through whatever the hell the past week was in the first place. However, to Peridot, it was well worth it, even if she did mess up a lot. She learned her lesson. But she still wanted to see this relationship end up somewhere meaningful at best, or tolerable at worst.

 

She stretched, sitting up, switching off the radio and tucking in its little telescoping antenna. When she made her way somewhere near Lapis, she figured it'd most likely suck and/or be creepy to get in the hammock with her. So, couch it was.

Peridot hopped on the couch, spinning around on all fours and making sure the blanket on top of it was adequately comfy. When she was satisfied, she plopped down.

 

She didn't really intend to sleep. But it was the end of a long week, and she had done more serious running around than she had in a while. Never again, that was for sure.

After a few moments, the sound of Lapis’ steady, unnecessary breath and her various sleepy mumbles and groans had lulled poor Peridot to sleep.

  
  


Things were still awkward. A bit unsure, too. But they'd figure it out together. That's what friends do; they listen to their temporary roommate sleep until they're too pooped to avoid the damned organic process.

Peridot really liked Lapis. And Lapis, whether she believed it yet or not, liked Peridot as well.

 

It might work, or they might fuck up and hurt each other, unintentionally or otherwise.

Really, the only way to find out was to wait and see. If they both put in the effort, maybe their relationship (whatever kind of relationship that may be) wouldn't be left to be forgotten.

Peridot truly hoped so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here we are. im gonna be honest, i tried to wrap this fic up as best as i could. i started it quite a while ago now, and i did no future planning.
> 
> 90% of this fic was written as i went along. and...lesson learned, that sucks. but i hope the epilogue ends up better, since ill actually think about it before i suddenly have 20-something-thousand words of it.
> 
> anyway, i hope y'all enjoyed, because this is not quite the end. not just yet.


End file.
